The Runaway Princess
by susan friedman
Summary: What if Rapunzel was never kidnapped by Gothel and had grown up as a Princess. Will she still meet Flynn Rider and have her adventures with him. Final chapter up now.  Story complete. Thanks for your reviews.
1. Chapter 1

The Runaway Princess

"At last," Rapunzel said, as she ran through the castle gate. "Finally. I just don't know how I'll get back before they start to miss me."

She looked around for a direction to turn into, any direction right now. She shouldn't be wasting time. The Guards could come for her any minute. She decided on going west, but she had no idea where she was headed. 18 years of castle life felt just like a prison. Being the daughter of the King and Queen of Corona did have its advantages and, to be honest, sometimes she was glad she was a princess. Other times, she was bored silly. She wanted to get out. She wanted to experience life like everyone else. In short, she wanted to be normal human being. No titles, no fuss, no servants hovering over her catering to her every single need. And no arranged marriages!

Rapunzel thought of herself as a reasonably good looking woman, big green eyes, a cute little pug nose and medium length blonde hair. It had been cut once, but stayed blonde. It was at that time that her hair just stopped growing. No one had questioned why and neither had she, although she often wondered why.

She started to run; she wanted to get away from the castle as quickly as possible, looking over her shoulder to see if anyone was following her. Hopefully, she would have some time to herself before the Guards…

"You lost, Blondie?" a voice came from behind her. She turned around and came face to face with a familiar looking male who was smiling at her. He was handsome with big brown eyes and chestnut brown shoulder length hair parted in the middle. He sported a small goatee.

Rapunzel looked into his eyes. He looked so familiar to her; she just couldn't place that face.

"Well," she said, "I'm new here and I would love to see some of the sights. Do you know a few good places to start?"

"It just happens that I do, beautiful," he smiled as he walked closer to her side. "But you're headed in the wrong direction. Everything is back that way." He pointed eastward, just the way she had come.

"You mean the castle?" Rapunzel asked. "I've seen that already. Any other things, you can show me?" She was guessing he was her age, maybe a bit older and hopefully wiser.

The young man shrugged his shoulders. "Well, maybe we could start over here," he said, pointing to Corona Fountain. "Throw a coin in there and make a wish, it's a legend in this village."

"Um, I don't seem to have a coin on me," she said, shaking her head.

"Well, I guess I can lend you something just this once." He pulled out a copper coin and handed it to her. "Go on, throw it in. Don't forget to make a wish."

Rapunzel watched him as she walked toward the fountain. He seemed nervous as he too, looked over his shoulder. It was as if the Guards were after him as well.

"Hey you never introduced yourself," he said as she threw the coin into the fountain. He was standing in back of her, his breath on her neck. "The name's Flynn; Flynn Rider."

She smiled. So that's where she'd seen him before. Wanted posters all the Sheriff's wall his office. But somehow, she couldn't turn him in. He seemed to kind to be a thief.

But then, she didn't really know him, now did she.

"Hello, Flynn Rider," she answered. "Any relation to the The Tales of Flynnigan Rider? I've read all his books."

"Just the name," he whispered, and then he directed her to the left a it. "That's the Bridge of Flowers over here and that's..."

Every building it seemed had a history as did every plant and flower. Rapunzel couldn't remember ever having a great a time as was now. She completely lost track of time.

XXXX

"Rapunzel?" Her name rang throughout the castle. Everyone seemed to be looking for the missing Princess. Upstairs, Rapunzel's ladies ran down the hallway to look for her; maybe she was still asleep. The Princess had a lot to do today. Besides schooling, she had her jobs to perform just like everyone else. A reporter would be there later to interview her about the upcoming Lantern Festival. Every year, the villagers and the Royals celebrated her birth by sending up a lantern. But this year, it would be special and different. Lots of new things had been added and besides, Prince Devon, her betrothed, was coming for a visit. She couldn't miss him.

"Rapunzel, get up," Cora, her best friend, called out as she opened up the door to her bed chamber.

The bed had been slept in, Rapunzel just wasn't there.

This sent all the Ladies into a panic and Cora ran for the King and Queen.

"This isn't the first time she's done this," her father roared when he heard the news that his daughter was missing, again.

"But this is the first time she's managed to leave the castle walls," the Queen answered.

The King turned to his wife. "You sound like you're on her side."

"Maybe she does need to get out, my lord," the Queen said, shaking her head. "In a few weeks, she's getting married. You can't keep her locked up forever."

The King just looked at her. "So what should we do?"

"Wait a little while," the Queen said, "If she isn't back by the stroke of 12, call out the Guards."

Little did the Queen know that the King had already sent the Guards to look for his daughter. As of this moment, she was being watched, very carefully.

XXXXX

A church bell chimed from St. Basil's, it was now 3. It didn't feel like a half a day had gone by. Time was moving so quickly and she was having the best day of her life. She didn't want to leave, she wanted to see the whole world. She looked up at Flynn Rider who was standing next to her on the Bridge of Flowers. It brought the outside world into the village. She'd been over it a thousand times before, but this time it was with someone she cared about.

Flynn looked out into the water. It was peaceful and after a whirlwind day of sightseeing, it was nice to finally enjoy the quiet. He thought about asking her to stay the night, but he didn't know how to ask. Besides, he didn't really have a room.

He turned to look at her and found her staring back at him. He looked into those big green eyes of hers. He could get lost in them. All of a sudden he felt a feeling of warmth come over him and leaned in a little to kiss her.

It was meant to be a light kiss, but it lasted longer than it should have. They both pulled away from each other.

"I'd best be going," Rapunzel said, "it's getting late."

"To where?" Flynn asked, "you're new here, aren't you? Do you need somewhere to stay? Besides, you never told me anything about yourself?"

"Flynn," she started, "I have something to confess. You see, I'm not..."

Suddenly a scream split the air and the two turned to look. There was a commotion going on on the other side of the bridge, the one outside the courtyard. Flynn grabbed her hand and they both ran to the scene. A woman was being assaulted by none other than his rivals, the Stabbingtons, although he only saw Eyepatch. He didn't see the other one. He was actually surprised. They usually traveled together. And the woman he recognized. It was none other than Lisa Stabbington, the twins sister. They had been set up.

"Well hello, Princess," she said hearing a voice behind her back. She felt cold steel pinch her back.

"Princess?" Flynn thought as her turned toward her. That's when he noticed what was happening. Instinct just took over from that point on.

"I have nothing for you," she said, staring up at him.

"Your crown will do nicely," Lisa said, reaching up for it, but Flynn was there first.

Leave her alone, she's mine," Flynn said, as he kicked Sideburns in the groin, causing him to drop the knife. He knocked Lisa's hand away causing her to drop the crown. Eyepatch came up behind him, but Rapunzel took care of that, knocking him out with a rock she picked up.

"Alright, break it up, that's enough," another male voice interrupted. "And she's not yours, Flynn Rider, she ours,"

Rapunzel cringed. It was the Captain of the Guards, grabbing Flynn and bound his hands together while two others went after Rapunzel. They had been following her all day, hadn't they? They waited until now to do something.

She watched helplessly as Flynn was dragged away by the three Guards.

"Come on," the Captain said, "I'll escort you home, keep you out of trouble."

XXXXX

Flynn Rider found himself inside a prison cell. He was accused of kidnapping Princess Rapunzel, even though he had told guards that that wasn't the case. She had just showed up, he told the Guards, and he offered to help her find her way around.

"She didn't know where she was going," Flynn said, staring at the three Guards opposite him. "She said she was new in the village and she wanted to see the sights."

The Guards looked at each other and laughed. "A likely story coming from a thief like you. Come on, Rider, you can do better than that."

And so, he was deposited here, waiting for a judgment from the King. He thought about her all day after watching the Captain drag her away. He couldn't stop thinking about her as a matter of fact. He was surprised at his feelings. He never felt like this before, not about anyone. He had lots of experience with women, but nothing like this. He shook his head. It was impossible. He was a thief and she, well, she was royalty. They didn't stand a chance being together. If things were different, maybe, just maybe…

He heard voices down the hall, one of them female.

"Do you know which cell he's in, Guardsmen?"

"Right down there, Princess."

"Alright, follow me,"

Flynn heard footsteps headed his way. They stopped when they reached his cell.

"Open the door," he heard Rapunzel say, as he turned around and caught the Princess staring at him. Their eyes locked.

"Your Highness?" the Guardsman questioned.

"You heard what I said, Guardsman, Release this man. He saved my life."

The Guardsman sighed. Yes, he had been given the order to release him and it was by the King himself.

He stuck the key in the lock and opened the door.

The Princess and the thief stared at one another before the Guardsman grabbed Flynn's arm.

"Come on, Rider. You're one lucky man, at least today. I have a feeling you'll be back."

Rapunzel watched as they led Flynn Rider down the hallway. When she lost sight of him, she turned and made her way back to the castle. She stopped though to stare out the window that faced the street, wondering if she could catch a glimpse of him.

She didn't want to let him go, in fact, she had the best day of her entire life just being with him. She didn't know if she could trust a thief and a con man with a ready smile and some enticing words, but she also knew that the marriage that her parents arranged for her wasn't going to work. She had to have a heart to heart with her parents. She wanted to talk to them about giving Flynn Rider a chance to adjust to society, maybe giving him some job here at the castle. Well, we'll see. She'd cross that bridge when she came to it.

But she needed to get back to reality, she did have her chores to attend to after all.

XXXXX

Flynn Rider stood outside the castle gate, staring up at one of the lighted windows. He almost thought that he could see the Princess from there. He wondered if she was looking at him as he was looking for her. She was kind as well as intelligent. She was the first woman who hadn't wanted anything from him but his friendship. She didn't ask for much and she trusted him. He wished that they had a bit more time together, make her see that he had grown to care for her, even in that short span of time. Maybe he would do as the Guardsman suggested. Maybe he would return, but he wouldn't return as Flynn Rider. It was at that point, that he decided to go straight, change his thieving ways and win the heart of Princess Rapunzel. He could do it, he could do anything if he set his mind to it.

Starting now, Flynn Rider would disappear and Eugene Fitzherbert would take his place. It would be a challenge after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The King paced up and down in his study. All he kept thinking about was how to keep his daughter safely inside the castle walls until her marriage to Prince Devon in a few weeks. He actually felt like Rapunzel and his wife, no one had ever seen Devon, Prince of the neighboring Kingdom of Charon. But then all arranged marriages were like that; even his own. They didn't see one another until their wedding day. He could understand his daughter's reasons for wanting to get out, so had he, but eventually he had to curb them and settle down to business, just like she was going to have to eventually. They weren't going to live forever.

But maybe, just maybe, there was something he could do to ease her pain for now. The Queen had made mention of letting this thief do some jobs around the castle, maybe involve him with the Captain of the Guards. He didn't know how that was going to work, the Guards had been after this slippery snake for years and never was able to capture him. Well, now they would have their chance. His wife had explained that if perhaps you give a thief a chance to prove his worth, he just might surprise you and turn his life around for the better.

Well, he would let Rapunzel talk him into taking on this no account of a thief. And maybe, just maybe he might be surprised. But first, he was going to do a little research about this thief. Not now, mind you, he had to talk to his daughter first. He had an idea about something that he wasn't going to let go. Hopefully, he was right

XXXXX

"What were you thinking, Rapunzel," the King roared, pacing up and down his study. "How many times have I told you not to run around the kingdom, especially by yourself? How many times have I…"

Rapunzel wasn't listening. She was staring of the window in her father's study, watching the villagers come and go in the morning light. How many times had she heard the same story over and over and over again? All she wanted to do was get out once a while, see the world, live like a normal person and get to know other people; one person in particular. And she hadn't even brought up that yet.

"Rapunzel? Are you listening?"

She turned from the window and met his gaze. "I need to put the wedding on hold, Father."

The King eyes spit fire. "What? When did you come to this conclusion? Since you met that Flynn Rider person?"

"That Flynn Rider person saved my life, Father, and it has nothing at all to do with him."

"Then what does it have to do with?" the King asked, quietly. He even stepped back and sat down in his favorite chair behind the desk. "Go on, I'm listening."

Rapunzel stared at him. She couldn't believe that he would be so understanding all of a sudden.

"It's just that…" she stammered, not getting the words out. "It's just that I've never even seen Prince Devon and…"

"And he's never seen you, child," the King said, smiling. He stood up and walked around the desk to be closer to her. "That's what these marriages are all about, including mine. I know how you feel, but it's the law."

"You can change it," Rapunzel cried, "You're the King after all."

The King smiled. "You know, I might at that. Rapunzel, I'm sending out the Guards to look for your handsome thief. He might be anywhere, we don't know. Hopefully, he's not holding up someone somewhere when we find him. It might put a damper on my feelings for him. But you said he saved your life and I believe you."

Rapunzel narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your mother wants me to give him a chance and I said I would. But we'll give this a time limit, daughter and I'll be generous. I'll give him six months to change his thieving ways and we'll put Devon on hold. It's too late to stop him from coming though. He should be here tomorrow or the next day, the latest. He left from Charon last week. He has to take two boats to get here and then it's a two hour ride to the castle, which I suppose he has no idea how to get here alone."

Rapunzel smiled the widest smile she had in years. She ran to him and put her arms around his neck. "Oh, Father, thank you."

"Thank your mother as well, Rapunzel. This was mostly her idea. And just remember, this isn't like Cinderella and the Prince Charming. You might just have to suffer with this wedding after all."

"We'll see, Father. You do remember my friend Jasmine and her husband, Aladdin, don't you? He was a thief too. Now there's a happy marriage."

Her father smiled. "We'll see. Right now I have a little research to do and you have your interview. Remember, your birthday is tomorrow."

"How can I forget, Father?" she answered, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Thanks again." The King watched as she ran off, smiling to himself. "And now to check the library records," he said as he rubbed his hands together.

XXXX

He was running from something, he didn't know what or why. He could never see what was behind him, but that he was always running, no matter how many times he looked back. He ran off the road, he hid behind trees, but that feeling that something was coming never left him. Something was coming for him and it was bound to catch up to him sooner or later. He had to keep running, running or else…

"Excuse me," a voice called out. Eugene stirred a little in his sleep. He let out a groan and turned over.

"Excuse me, man," the voice called again, "but is this the way to the castle? I've been traveling all day and I believe I'm lost."

Eugene finally opened his eyes, but couldn't really focus on the face. "You're going the right way," he said, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "It about two miles from here, you can't miss it. Just cross the Bridge of Flowers and you'll be staring into the courtyard. It'll be right in front of you."

The young man on the white horse, smiled. "Thanks so much. Maybe I'll see you at the castle later."

And with that the young man galloped off, Eugene watching his every move. "At the castle later," he mused. "Yeah, right," he said, smiling; shaking his head.

"You know something, Rider, the guy could be right. He might see you later at the castle."

Eugene turned around and his eyes grew wide. It was the Captain of the Guard. He was wide awake now.

"Wait, what are you doing?" he yelled as three Guardsman bound his hands behind his back. "What's going on? Am I being arrested? I have my rights, you know. " Eugene struggled and squirmed trying to loosen the ropes.

The Captain smiled. "I'm not arresting you, Rider. You're just coming back to the castle with us, no ifs, no ands and no buts. The King wants to have an audience with you, so you'll just cooperate with us, if you don't mind."

That was the last thing Eugene heard before they conked him on the head with something, just to keep him quiet.

XXXXX

Prince Devon was lost. He passed what looked like a long white bridge hours ago. It was all decorated with flowers, getting ready for the Festival of Lanterns. He stopped though as he came to a tower and right in back of that tower was a cliff. An 80 foot wall of water fell from the cliff into the rocks below. He was so mesmerized by the sight that he didn't hear three thieves creep up from behind and grab him, knocking him out.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"You were right, my love," the King said to his wife, as he walked into the Queen's sitting room. "I had a feeling about that boy. I won't even talk about your distant relations."

The sitting room was beautiful. The wood paneled walls were decorated with painted flowers, drawn by Rapunzel herself. Small and delicate stained glass windows depicted garden scenes and flowers. A portrait of the Royal family hung over the fireplace in the middle of the room. A collection of suns, the symbol of Corona, were displayed in a huge mahogany breakfront in the center of the room against the wall. It was the first thing you saw when you entered room. A small library held the Queen's favorite books that she was reading at the moment. The ones she'd finished were returned to the large library down the hallway.

The Queen closed the book she was reading and looked up at her husband. "Yes, my fifth cousins, the Stabbington's, will stop at nothing to achieve what they want and that includes a few accidental deaths on purpose. And we won't even mention what happened with their kids. I'm actually ashamed to be part of that family."

"Don't be my love, "the King answered, shaking his head. "It's the same in all royal families. My brother tried to wrestle the crown out from under me. I also had to take some desperate measures to keep him from taking it." The King walked over to the Queen and sat next to her on the love seat. He took her hand in his own. "What do they say? You can pick your friends but you can't pick your relatives.

The Queen smiled and squeezed his hand. "We are going to have to do something, though, my dear. They are squeezing the life out of Charon. You might have to use some of those desperate measures you speak of."

The King nodded. "We just might have to, love. We'll just have to wait and see. I don't want to take action just yet though. That's why I have Devon coming early. I want him to take a message back to the King and Queen. That's also why I'm putting this wedding on hold for now and I'll tell him that when he gets here."

The Queen looked up at the clock on the mantel. "A bit late, isn't he?"

"I would send the Guards, but they're a bit busy rounding up our loveable thief."

"Maybe you shouldn't keep calling him that, now that you know…"

"Your Majesties," one of the Guardsmen opened the double doors. "Your guest has arrived."

The King and Queen stood. "We have two we're expecting, Manfred," the King said, "which one?"

"It's Flynn Rider. He sitting in the Audience Chamber right now, bound and…"

"Loosen his ropes, Manfred, and get him out of the Audience Chamber. It's much too large for a one on one. Put him in my study and explain that I'll be there within the hour. Now, I need a few more moments alone with my wife and send the Guards out again. We need to look for a missing Prince."

"Right away, Sire," Manny said, stepping out of the room and closing the doors.

The King smiled and shook his head. He turned to look at his wife. "Does this meet your approval?"

The Queen smiled. "You'll never know how much. I just hope that you find our missing Prince."

XXXXX

The Stabbington's were almost done with the Prince; at least they finished cleaning him out of some of his gold and silver. They moved him up to their hideout, the tall 80 foot tower.

They were studying him now, amazed at his resemblance to Sideburns.

"You could get away with it," Eye Patch admitted. "It's almost as if you were twins."

"Like us?" Sideburns snickered. "So Prince Devon, how are our many distant cousins?"

The Prince grunted. He was in his long johns, shaking with cold. The tower was cold and damp, especially with the windows closed to keep out the light.

"You know he can't answer," Eye Patch said, "not with that gag tied around his mouth."

Sideburns laughed. "Where is Lisa?"

"Putting the finishing touches on your costume," Lisa said, throwing it at him. "or should I say Prince Devon's. I had to let it out so it would fit perfectly. Go on, try it on. Let's see how it fits."

Sideburns was already getting into the coat. He walked over to the mirror and straightened it. He admired himself.

"Perfect fit. Thanks sis," he said, giving her a peck on the cheek.

"Now we can get out there and do some damage," Eye Patch said, but Sideburns shook his head.

"No, we play it cool for now, watch and wait." He turned to his brother. "Stay here and keep an eye on Sis and the good Prince here. Make sure the Guards don't find him, I'm sure they've got a search party out right now." Sideburns smiled. "I'll handle the rest."

XXXXX

Flynn Rider looked around the room, the King's study, he heard the orders they were given.

It was a well appointed room, with tapestries depicting mythical creatures, the King's favorite subject. He was in love with myths, any and all of them. They mingled with books on the justice system, old laws and records, a few self help journals and how to books. You couldn't get by with just a smolder, he decided. This King meant business.

He was deciding what story to use. There were three, two he made up and one was the truth. The one he used the most was the orphanage story. It made the women feel sorry for him and they wanted to do nothing but help. Sometimes they even gave him things to help him out. The other story was that his parents were so poor that they had sold him to gypsies to get money, but he soon abandoned it as no one really cared.

But the truth he kept to himself. He only knew bits and pieces of it anyway, he had forgotten most of it or rather he had blocked it out from his memory, which was closer to the truth. All he could remember was that he was running, always running and he had no idea from what.

He had no idea what he was doing here, his only orders were to wait until the King arrived and so that's what he did. If this was his first step into getting Rapunzel on his side, then he was all for it.

Suddenly, the door burst open and the King strode in. He looked at Flynn as he closed the door behind him.

Flynn gulped. It was going to be a long night.

XXXXX

Rapunzel and the Queen sat together in the sitting room, reading, but both could hardly keep their minds on their books, especially Rapunzel. The Queen watched as Rapunzel put the book down and walk over to the window to stare out at the village people bustling to and fro, rushing to finish up the day's business. She felt an arm go around her waist and heard her mother's voice in her ear. "Everything will be alright, my daughter. Things will work out, wait and see. All you need to have is a little faith."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Rapunzel was on the move. It was her mother who requested that she leave to see what was going on, then report back to her later. She ran to her father's study only to find the door closed. She was about to leave when the door opened halfway. Her eyes wide with fear, she looked around for a place to hide and found one. The study was situated on the right side of the hallway. There was a connecting hallway next to the study that formed a corner. She ran quickly around the corner; her ear pressed against the room.

"Then you'll accept the position, Eugene? The Queen and I were hoping that you'd say yes."

"Eugene?" she thought as she watched the two of them. "What happened to Flynn Rider?"

"It won't be a problem, Your Majesty. It's as good as done."

"Uh, Eugene, don't even think of mentioning our little conversation. I'll give you the heads up when the coast is clear."

"Mum's the word, Sire."

"Oh and for now, you don't have to be so formal. I'll give you fair warning though, if I catch anything missing from any part of the castle and we find anything in your quarters, you're done around here. Understood?"

"Nothing's going to go wrong," Eugene's voice was loud and clear. "Oh and thanks for giving me this chance."

Rapunzel watched her father disappear inside his study. She watched Flynn Rider or Eugene or whatever his name was, stride down the hallway, confident and serene. She waited until he closed the door, and then followed whoever he was down the hallway.

XXXX

"Hi Manny," she whispered in his ear, waking him up. It wasn't late, not yet, but if her father found out where she was, boy, was she going to get it. Worse than what's his name.

"Your Highness," Manfred said, standing up. "What the heck are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be…"

"Quiet," Rapunzel said, "let's not attract attention." She looked around. "I'm looking for Flynn Rider. Is he anywhere around here?"

Manfred frowned. He eyed her suspiciously. "What do you want with him?"

"My mother sent me to check up on him." She wasn't lying, just embellishing a bit.

"Third door, down the hall to your left," Manny said, almost sorry that he told her. If the King knew what he just did, he'd have his head and then some; but if the Queen really had sent her…

"Thanks, Manny," she said, kissing him on the cheek. He watched her as she counted the doors, found the third one and opened it. He waited until she disappeared from sight.

Manfred smiled and shook his head. He hoped Rapunzel had been telling the truth.

XXXXX

The King had set Flynn Rider up in the Guard's barracks. He had given him some literature to read too, a few self help books. The one he was studying now, "Ten Steps to Becoming a Better Guardsman" was standard reading. Strewn about his new digs were a few more books, "The Do's and Don'ts of Today's Bodyguard", "How to Confidently Change Your Career", a map and pamphlet titled "How to Move About the Castle without Detection," and "Thieves Anonymous" a collection of short stories written by former thieves and how their lives changed for the better. He wanted to keep reading, but he just couldn't keep his mind off what he was in store for tomorrow and who knows how long after that. He was almost sorry he agreed to what the King asked. But, he had to admit, it was a heck of a lot better than sleeping out in the woods again.

"Anybody home?"

Flynn looked up from the book and tried not to smile as Rapunzel entered the room.

"What in the world are you doing here?" he asked, dropping the book as he stood up. "Come on, beautiful, we've got to get you back before they discover you're missing."

"Just checking on you," Rapunzel said, looking at the mess on the floor. "I guess you're all set up for the evening." She tipped her head toward the books.

"Required reading?" she asked sitting down checking out the titles.

"You do this often?" Flynn asked her, sitting down next to her. He pried "How to Move About the Castle without Detection "out of her hands.

"Only when I'm ordered to," she answered, snatching the pamphlet back. She peered inside studying the map. "Hmmm," she said, unfolding it. "I never knew we had a hedgerow maze; maybe check it out sometime." She turned the map over looking for more surprises.

"See anything else, Blondie?" he asked. Rapunzel was so absorbed in the map she didn't see him inching over to where she was sitting cross-legged on the floor

"Well, she answered, still looking intently at the map, not seeing Flynn's hand moving downward. She was twisting it in all kinds of directions, "I can't really make this out, but I think…"

Flynn's hand took her by surprise as he grabbed the map and jerked it upward, almost ripping it.

But she wouldn't let go.

She tugged it closer, falling over, almost hitting her head on the rough wooden floor. In an attempt to stop her from falling, Flynn grabbed Rapunzel's arm to pull her up, but she pulled him down with her. He tumbled on top of her and their eyes locked. He tried to fight the urge to touch her soft cheek, run his fingers through that mid length blonde hair of hers and to kiss that small pout away.

"Alright," he said, "game's over. Let's have it,"

She handed it to him reluctantly.

"You're a handful, you know that?" Flynn said as he pocketed the map and the pamphlet. .

Rapunzel pouted even more. She sat up and brushed off her clothes as if they had been contaminated. She too was fighting urges of lust.

"What's the deal here, Mr. Rider, or is it Eugene?" she spat out angrily. "I heard you and my father talking earlier."

It was out of her mouth before she could take it back. Her hand flew to her mouth, but what's his name removed it.

"Alright, you caught me. The name's Eugene Fitzherbert. What else do you want to know?"

"Your entire life story?" she answered smiling, "but we don't have time now. Maybe tomorrow night?"

Eugene or Flynn or whoever else he was shook his head. "Tomorrow's your birthday, remember"? And you might get my entire life story sooner than you think."

Rapunzel frowned. "What does that mean?"

What's his name smiled. "That, my dear Princess, means that you'll be seeing a lot of me from now on. I'm supposed to keep an eye on you. I'm your new bodyguard."

Rapunzel looked quizzically at him. That took her by surprise. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Okay," she answered. She stood up and so did he. "So, in light of your new job, what should I call you?"

Flynn shrugged. "As long as it's not hey you or late for dinner, you can call me Eugene if you prefer, but only in private."

"I guess I prefer Eugene, but why all the secrecy?"

Flynn smiled. "I'll explain when the time is right." He shook his head. "I shouldn't have even told you this much."

He grabbed her hand. "Come on, beautiful. My first act as your bodyguard is to escort you to your bedchamber."

Rapunzel's eyes widened. "Which do you mean, Eugene? Inside my bed or outside my door?"

Flynn could feel his cheeks warming.

"You're blushing," she said laughing. "It suits you. Looks like you got a tan."

Flynn gave her a lopsided smile. "Come on, before it gets any later."

XXXXX

Manny was wondering just what was going on in Rider's room when he saw the door open. He heard excited voices and bits of laughter as he watched them approaching the guard booth. He noticed that they were holding hands. Quick work, he thought.

"Just escorting the Princess back to the castle," Flynn said as he walked past him. Rapunzel looked behind her shoulder and waved.

Manny waved back and shook his head as he watched the them walking up the path to the castle.

XXXXX

It was almost midnight when two Guardsman on horseback found bunch of dirty bloody rags by the side of the road. At least that's what they thought it was as they approached.

One of the Guardsmen dismounted and brought his lighted torch closer to inspect exactly what they had found. What they discovered, however, was not a pile of rags, but that of a young man, staring up at them. He moved the torch slowly over the man's body to reveal bloody ropes still bound behind his back. . The gag that had been around his mouth was now dangling from his neck. How long he had been there no one knew, except possibly the man.

"Help me, please help me," he cried weakly, before he passed out.

"Go get the Captain," the Guardsman said, looking up at the one still on horseback. "I'm not really sure, but I think we've found our missing Prince."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

From the unabridged version of The Invincible Four: The History of the Four Island Kingdoms.

As you have discovered, there are Four Island Kingdoms. Now let's explore their history.

Here are a few quick facts to remember.

Each of the Four Island Kingdoms or the Four "C's" as they are known, are natural atolls situated in the Middle Sea. Each island is approximately 5 miles from each other and can be reached by the Four Island ferries.

Each of the Four Island Kingdoms have adopted the Four Elements as their flag symbols. Each have a healing power unique to the Island itself.

Remember that the kingdoms are also known as the "Four "C's".

Here is an easy way to remember their names and the Element that they have adopted.

Corona is the name of the First Island Kingdom. It has adopted the Element of Fire and its symbol is the Sun. Their unique healing power is the Magic Flower.

Caledonia is the name of the Second Island Kingdom. It has adopted the Element of Water and their symbol is the Magnificent Waterfall. Their unique healing power is a Magic Spring.

Corsa is the name of the Third Island Kingdom. It has adopted the Element of Earth and their symbol are the Dunes of Plenty. Their unique healing power is the Magic Soil.

Charon is the Fourth Island Kingdom and the furthest away from the others. It has adopted the Element of Air and their symbol is the Cornucopia. Their unique healing power is the Great Tree.

According to the Laws of the Four Island Kingdoms, each unique healing power is forbidden to the public. No one person has control of these healing gifts, not even the King and Queen. Each unique power is controlled and carefully monitored and can only be accessed by physicians and healers.

Each of these islands have their own monarchy and each island is ruled just and fair. Each island has a separate body of laws which should be adhered to and under no circumstances be abused. In certain cases, the monarchy can pass laws as they see fit. These are then voted on by a Council who will approve the laws and set them into motion.

Peacekeepers on each of the Four Islands are the Royal Guards who will carry out their duties without argument or complaint. Any member of the Royal Family has access to these Guards and can call on them any time to perform their duties, whether it be apprehension of a criminal or a broken law.

In order to ensure proper sentencing, each criminal will be brought to justice at that time. A panel of four judges will hear the case and determine the punishment and length of sentence

Legend has it that if one possesses all Four Elements he is the richest and most powerful man in the world.

XXXX

The Kingdom of Charon was a shadow of its former self. It was richest kingdom in entire chain and the most beautiful yet tonight it had been dark and foreboding. Streets that were once spotless were now dismal and dingy with grime and filth.

Charon once a favorite tourist stop because of the air's healing powers was now empty, devoid of any humans whatsoever. The air certainly did not have that special quality that it once had. It was as if no one cared about the city once the new King and Queen took over from the legitimate King and Queen, Linus and Olivia. .

The castle itself was partially in ruins as was the tattered Cornucopia flag flying from atop the castle walls.

It looked as if no one cared.

But behind the ruined castle walls, someone did care. Not of the ruined kingdom or dirty streets, but someone who wanted to be rich and powerful and someone who had some unfinished business left to attend to.

That's what was foremost on their minds.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Samuel Stabbington threw down his glasses. He was tired of reading, tired of trying to refresh himself with the history of his own family. He was getting older and there were just things he couldn't remember.

He knew he was related to two Princesses, one being the Queen of Corona. She was very distantly related, he couldn't remember if it was fourth or fifth. She was already married when they set up their Island Kingdom. The other relative, Queen Priscilla of Charon, had died in child in childbirth, along with her son. King Linus had taken comfort in Priscilla's Lady of Waiting, Olivia and, to the disappointment of the Stabbington family, married her in three months time.

Olivia was beautiful, not red haired, like most of the Stabbingtons. She had long flowing black hair and beautiful almond shaped brown eyes. When she turned out to be pregnant and with a boy no less, it was time to take action, at least his grandfather Lemuel did or had tried to.

Lemuel inherited the four islands from his brother who died of heart trouble. Nathaniel explained that he would have to take care of them and make sure that they stayed in the family always. So when he married, he and his wife, Evelyn moved to Charon and set up an inn called the Painted Pony. Soon he learned his wife was pregnant and was overjoyed at the possibility of being a father, but that was never to be. Evelyn died in childbirth, but his daughter had survived. He raised her on the island paradise and eventually grew rich. His inn and the newly built pub beside it became a popular destination spot. Everyone knew of the Painted Pony and recommended it. So it shouldn't have been a surprise when royalty knocked at his door. Recovering from a bout with pneumonia, Linus had come looking for the famous Healing Waters and stayed because of its beauty. Eventually he fell in love and married his daughter, Priscilla. The four islands were part of her dowry and eventually a kingdom was built there.

The beauty of the islands attracted more royalty and in time all four islands became kingdoms, much to Lemuel's dismay. Private residences dotted each island, but as the kingdoms grew bigger, people were eventually pushed off and forced to live in the village.

The promise that the Stabbington family would be able to share their islands with the kingdoms soon vanished with the death of Lemuel. That's when they lost all control. Priscilla finally persuaded her husband to grant them enough land to call their own. After all, the Invincible Four, as the islands were now known, had was theirs to begin with.

And so it was for a while until Priscilla and her baby girl had died in childbirth and Linus had married Olivia who wanted nothing to do with the now lowly Stabbingtons. As a result, the family was scattered from Corona to Charon. With no place to live and no jobs they took up thieving, many highwaymen who killed and robbed rich travelers to any island.

The Stabbington's were not large in number; there were three in Corona, two in Caledonia, five in Corsa and two more in Charon. The two were Samuel and his twin brother, Edward

The plot to kill all the Royals had started with Edward, but finished with Samuel. Forcing the Royal coach off the road, they made the killing look like an accident. Linus and Olivia had three children, the two oldest were boys, the younger one a daughter. The bodies of the King, Queen and their young daughter were eventually found, but there was no trace of the two princes.

Samuel and his brother wanted nothing more than to master the Four Elements of the Islands, but first they had sworn to find them and take their revenge. They wanted their islands back and they would stop at nothing to get them, but first they had to find the missing princes. They weren't sure younger one lived, but they knew the oldest was somewhere on Corona, but they didn't know exactly where.

Samuel picked up his glasses and put them back on his nose, He was about to close the book, when he remembered something he had opened the book for in the first place. He scoured the FAQ page again until he came to the very last paragraph which he read out loud.

"Legend has it that if one possesses all Four Elements he is the richest and most powerful man in the world, but he who uses violence to obtain them will never have peace or prosperity. Ruin and despair will follow them all the days of their lives."

Samuel closed the book and threw his glasses on the table. He pondered the paragraph and wondered if it could be true, if that was the reason their island paradise had been crumbling into ruin. But then again, it could all be coincidence. He didn't really believe in such things anyway.

XXXXX

"Sire, this is Prince Devon of the Island of Charon."

The King looked up from his book, "How to Rule without an Iron Fist, the addendum to the first. He stood up to greet the visiting Prince. "Come in, Devon, we have much to discuss. Please close the door behind you. "

Sideburns smiled and extended his hand to grasp the King's own.

"Yes, my family is anxious to know when the wedding date will be."

The King lost his smile. He had been waiting for this moment all night.

"I'm afraid we are going to have put this wedding on hold, Devon. It seems that my daughter needs more time."

Sideburns' smile disappeared. He wasn't prepared for this. His orders had been explicit and he didn't want to report back that he had failed in his task.

"How long will this be, Your Majesty. My family will be very disappointed to hear this outcome."

"Yes, well," the King said, it must be done, nevertheless. I would have mentioned it sooner, but you were already on your way here."

Sideburns said nothing. He stood up. "Well, I guess I'll be leaving then."

The King smiled as he stood with him. "You don't have to leave so quickly, Devon. Since you have been inconvenienced, we want you to stay for a few days inside the castle, if this is alright with you."

Sideburns smiled and extended his hand again. "Thanks, Your Majesty. I think I'll take you up on your offer."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The King dismissed his servants and ran all the way down to the stable. Devon was safe and secure in his own quarters and they had nothing to worry about. He wondered what the King would say on Charon. He had actually never met King Edward, just had correspondence with him. He had already penned a letter earlier in the evening and a trusted courier was on his way to Charon at this very moment.

The King looked around to see if he was being followed. When he was sure he wasn't, he made his way down to the barn and opened the door.

"Peter, "he called, hoping no one would hear him. The boy knew that he was coming, where was he?

"I'm here, Sire," Peter said, coming out of the shadows. "I was just attending to your horse."

The King smiled and clapped the boy on the shoulder. "I have great news for you. The Prince has arrived and I think he'll be staying for a few days."

Peter's brown eyes widened. "He's here? When did he arrive?"

The King sat down on a bale of hay. "Well, to be exact; it was earlier this evening. We had a great conversation and I think he understands the way things will be."

"What is it that you want me to do, Sire? When can I meet him?"

The King shook his head. "Sit tight my lad. We still have plenty of time, but I think it won't be much longer."

He stood up. "Don't worry, son, everything will turn out right. I have a good feeling about this. Beside have I ever steered you wrong?"

Peter smiled and shook his head. "No, it true, Sire. You've been good to me and I thank you for everything you've done. I've waited this long, I can wait a bit longer."

The King ruffled the boy's hair and turned to leave. It was then that he saw the Guardsmen return. He noticed something draped over a horse's saddle, he wasn't sure what it was.

"I think we found your missing Prince, Majesty," the Captain said as he tipped his head toward the horse.

The King frowned. "What are you talking about? The Prince was here and gone about an hour now. He should be resting comfortably in his rooms."

"Well," the Captain said, walking over to the horse. He turned the pile of rags over to reveal a man looking remarkably like the one he had just sent away. "Then who's this?"

The King glared in horror. "This man has been hurt and beaten, Captain. He is barely alive. Bring him to the physician's rooms and have him examined. We will find some suitable accommodations until he recovers."

He pointed to two guardsmen. "You two, come with me. I need to check on something."

And the King hurried down the hallway with the two guardsmen close behind.

XXXXX

Flynn closed the book, "The Invincible Four, The History of the Four Island Kingdoms" and stared up at Rapunzel.

"This is a remarkable book, Princess," he said smiling.

Rapunzel nodded. "Just the FAQ page alone is worth reading."

"I had no idea the Stabbington's were once the owners of these islands. And now I find that they're related to you?"

Rapunzel shook her head. "We never really talk about them, Eugene. My mother doesn't even consider them family."

"Well, maybe she should give them a little leeway. I mean, if it wasn't for them, you guys wouldn't be here in the first place."

Rapunzel said nothing. Maybe she'd talk to her mother in the morning, she wasn't sure.

"Can I take this book?" Flynn asked. "There's a lot of interesting facts in here that I didn't know about."

Rapunzel thought about it. "I'm sure my parents wouldn't miss it. It's not like they read it every minute of the day."

Flynn raised an eyebrow. "But you do, don't you? I'll bet my life on it."

Rapunzel blushed and lowered her eyes. "I have to admit you're right, Eugene."

"So I can borrow it then?"

Rapunzel looked up and nodded. "If anyone asks I'll tell them I have it. I'm sure they won't mind. It's only a history book after all."

Flynn smiled. "And we can read it together all day tomorrow. I have big plans for your birthday. Your father already knows about them. For some reason, I think he trusts me to look out for you."

She smiled. "He wouldn't have made you my bodyguard if he hadn't, now would he?"

The grandfather clock in the corner struck 11. "Come on, Princess. I think that it's way past your bedtime. I have to get you to your bed chamber safely."

XXXXX

Flynn was just leaving the castle when he heard a commotion going on outside. Manfred and Captain of the Guard were there.

"We're looking for you, Rider. The King needs to see you."

"Does it have to be right this minute?" Flynn asked. "I have to put something in my room first."

"As of now, Rider, you have your own set of rooms in the castle. The King insisted. He wants you there now. Go straight to the physician's chambers. I'll have a guardsmen drop this in your new quarters."

XXXXX

Flynn ran as fast he could. He wanted to tell Rapunzel, but her room was in the opposite wing. According to the map, the physician's wing was down the middle hallway to the right. When he reached the door marked on the map as "Office", he quickly folded it and placed the pamphlet back in his vest pocket. He opened the door to find the King and the physician both bent over the unconscious man.

The King looked up and smiled.

"Rider, where have you been? You are needed here. Can you identify this man?"

XXXXX

"You did what?"

Sideburns stared at the both of them

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lisa said.

"How could you let him go? What were you two thinking about?"

Eye Patch gulped. "We didn't let him go, he escaped."

Sideburns rolled his eyes upward. "He escaped, huh? From a seventy foot tower? Why don't I think so? And what the hell were you guys doing?"

"Well," was all Eye Patch said.

"We fell asleep, brother," she said, staring at him. "I actually thought he was too weak to find a way out of here. I wouldn't worry about him anyway. He's probably dead by now."

Lisa looked up at him. "And why aren't you at the castle? What happened to this marriage thing?"

Sideburns shook his head. "It's been called off. Samuel isn't going to like this turn of events." He looked at the two of them. " I'm not sure how to tell him."

Lisa smiled. ""We hear Rider's at the castle. We don't know why, though. He let on that much, at least."

Sideburns eyes narrowed. "Now how would he know that considering he's never seen him in his life."

"He described him to a tee, brother. He saw him out in the woods taking a nap. He asked him for direction. He was curious to know who he was."

Sideburns pricked up his ears at this new development, but something Lisa said bothered him. Did he know who Rider was? After all, he was the most wanted man in the Four Kingdoms. "Well, I guess I'll have to go back and find out now don't I?"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Peter Buford, the stable boy, had just finished brushing down the last of the King's prized chestnut stallions. There were six of them in all and he was lucky to have taken care of them.

Peter was a tall, lanky boy who just turned 20. He was a handsome lad, but he was shy and very quiet. He was in love with Cora, Rapunzel's Lady in Waiting. She was close to his age, he supposed, but it didn't matter. He never approached her, although it seemed that the King didn't mind at all. It was Peter who always thought that he was beneath her station anyway. He was just a stable boy, although the King always made him feel as if he were something better than that.

He was working in a livery when the King visited at least five years ago now. He admired the boy and saw how well he worked with the horses. Needing a good stable boy, the King spoke to Colin Blackmore, the livery owner, if Peter was available to work at the castle. Blackmore immediately said no, he was a good worker and never missed a day. No, there wasn't enough gold in the world to buy off Peter Buford, not without a fight anyway.

But the King wanted him for some reason and in the end, the King got him. Blackmore was paid handsomely for him. Not only that, but the King had found another stable boy to take his place. In the end, it all worked out. .

Peter had forgotten a lot about his younger years; although he did have snippets from time to time of what it had been like when he was younger. He was always surprised he didn't because at that age he should've remembered, but it was blocked, blotted out from his memory. He did remember that his favorite place however was always the stables. He knew horses like he knew the back of his hand. There wasn't a day that he didn't go down there and help with the horses, even though it wasn't his place and his father had always been angry with him.

He did remember a kind and loving older someone, someone who always watched out for him and took care of him. He always wanted to find that someone, but the King had seemed to know. The King always told him that that person would come back for him someday and bring him home. And that someone would be a Prince.

Peter Buford smiled as he put down the brushes and crawled up the ladder to the loft where his straw pallet was set up. He like to sleep with the horses, he liked their smell and loved to be close to them, just in case of emergencies.

He yawned and lay down on his pallet. It wouldn't be too much longer now, he hoped. Just a few more days the King had said and he'd been meeting this Prince for the first time. Maybe this was what he had been waiting for, maybethis time he'd discover the key to his past.

XXXXX

Flynn was in his new quarters, right next door to Rapunzel's bedchamber. The rooms were spacious with a parlor, sitting room and bedchamber, the same as Rapunzel's, only in the opposite direction.

"The Invincible Four, the History of the Four Kingdoms" had already been delivered to his room, but it sat on his bed, unopened, although he had been thinking about reading it all night. He needed to look at one page or at least one chapter. Maybe all his unanswered questions were there.

There were too many things on his plate, too many questions left unanswered. Who was the guy recovering in the physician's office and why did he look exactly like Sideburns Stabbington? Why had the King put him first in the Guard's barracks than have him moved up here next to Rapunzel? Well, he was supposed to be her bodyguard and keep her out of trouble, but right next door? What was he afraid of? Or did he want to keep that girl safe within the castle walls and keep a fatherly eye on her? Did he want him to watch her every move and report back to him?

Well, she was a sly fox that one, but he liked it. Flynn was sure that it wasn't the first time she'd run from the castle walls. She reminded him a lot of him when he was younger and wanted to escape his prison walls as well. If she wasn't royalty, he'd swear that she had all the makings of a thief in training. If he had only met her sooner, they probably could have…

"Eugene?"

Flynn looked up and frowned.

"Now Princess, you're supposed to be in bed."

Rapunzel's lips lifted into a shy smile. "You didn't say whose bed?"

She tumbled onto his upsetting the book. It fell to the floor with a loud thud.

"Shh," Flynn said, getting on the bed with her. "You'll attract attention and wake up the house." He narrowed us eyes. "How did you get in here anyway?"

Rapunzel looked at him and smiled. "From there," she answered pointing to a hidden door carved out of the wall. "I've been in here many times." She picked up the book from the floor. "I thought we'd read this together."

Flynn stared at her. "We have to get up early tomorrow, Princess. And I don't do my best work without sleep. Now I suggest…"

She kissed him lightly on the lips at first and then the kiss grew deeper, enveloping them. It made Flynn forget all about finding out his family history, who he was or why he was working for the King in the first place..

They both pulled apart quickly enough and stared at one another.

"Eugene, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

Flynn shook his head. "No, don't be," he said quietly and moved closer to kiss her again, when he heard footsteps in the hallway. "You'd better get back," he whispered in her ear. "We'll deal with this little game tomorrow."

She nodded and pushed open the door to her quarters. Without looking back, she closed the door behind her.

Eugene sat on the bed and stared at the hidden doorway. He did have feelings for her, but he hadn't realized that they were so strong. He shook his head. He was handsome and he had a way with women, but why was this one different? It was as if the King was pushing him into this. Was it because he wanted to reform a thief or was it because the King saw something else in him?

Or did the King know something that he didn't; something in his past that he couldn't remember.

XXXXX

Rapunzel giggled a bit as she left the room. Under her arm was the "Invincible Four, The History of the Four Kingdoms." She had to distract him and get the book away from him somehow, so she gave him a quick kiss while she scooped up the book with her left hand. She placed the book behind her as the kiss deepened, but was able to grab it back when she heard footsteps. She held it behind her back when Eugene brushed her off and brought it in front as the door closed behind her.

She plopped down on her bed and opened the book. She quickly went to the last chapter in the book, the one about the Kingdom of Charon. Flynn Rider had looked familiar and not just from the wanted posters either. There was something about him that she needed to check out, to confirm that she was right about something.

Rapunzel read through three pages of history before she began to feel sleepy. The book had fallen to the floor, but did not stay open to the page she had been reading. One by one each of the pages had closed in on themselves and she never got to see what she had wanted to see.


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks by the way, to all my six reviewers, but I know that many more of you are reading this story. It would be nice if you could let me know how the story is progressing, what you like, what you don't like and/or some constructive criticism so that you can better enjoy this story. I only have you in mind. If you don't want to leave a review, send me a pm. I would love to hear from you guys.

Chapter 9

Flynn awoke to screams and chattering coming from the room next door. He quickly jumped out of bed and shifted into bodyguard mode.

"Rapunzel?" he called out as he pushed open the hidden door and ran inside the chamber. He glanced first at the unmade bed. No Princess. He was getting panicky now as he ran around the rooms searching. The screams were getting louder now as he made his way into the sitting room, the last one he saw. He followed the noises to another room, one almost hidden off to the side. It was on the right side of the room. It was cold on his feet as he stepped inside. He padded a little further and saw some ladies milling around a small round marble tub with a curtain attached.

"Rapun…"

"Eugene!" Rapunzel screamed, staring at him from the inside the tub. Cora quickly pulled the curtains around the tub while the other ladies were staring at him giggling.

In his haste, Flynn Rider had forgotten to throw on his robe, which he left draped over the edge of the bed.

"Sorry, ladies, I didn't mean, I mean…"He smiled now, backing out the bathroom. "I mean, well, you know what I mean."

He turned and rushed from the room, his cheeks turning red as he pushed open the door to his room.

"There you are, Rider. We've got orders to get you cleaned up and ready for the big day today," one of the servants said pushing him toward the little hidden room on the left. "Hope you're ready for it."

XXXXX

The day was bright and clear. Everyone in the village gathered around the courtyard to await the appearance of the King and Queen and their beautiful 18 year old daughter. A cheer went up when the double doors to the portico opened and out stepped the Royal family followed by their bodyguards. Each time they waved a cheer went up from the crowd below.

The King stepped forward. "Thank you, my dear friends and neighbors. As you know, we do this every year to remember my daughter's birthday. This one is her 18th. Remember, this celebration would not be possible without you. It is your lanterns that light up the night sky, following so soon after ours. So come, celebrate with us, there will be festivities galore for you to enjoy. It's an all day affair and will end as always, with the Lighting of the Beautiful Lanterns. What a beautiful sight they will be this year. So come and join us. The party starts now."

A loud cheer went up as the crowd dispersed and mingled with others on the street. There were vendors selling everything and anything you could imagine. It was so crowded that nobody but nobody could get past the castle gates.

And that meant for Sideburns as well. There was no way he was going to get through this crowd. Well, it didn't really matter anyway, if he got into see the King or not, Sideburns had his own agenda to take care of.

He couldn't sneak in the back way because the crowd was too thick, but what the heck. He was a "Prince" now and no one would even look twice. He would just blend in; he would just be a familiar face. Besides, no one was watching him anyway; too many people in one place.

But it wasn't true; four pairs of eyes were on him right now as he walked across the bridge and up to castle gates. Sideburns smiled and waved to the two guardsman stationed there and entered through the front door.

XXXXX

"Come on, Eugene. We've got time to kill." Rapunzel said, grabbing his hand. "That is, until the next announcement. We have to play meet and greet with the villagers."

Flynn shook his head. "Do you really? Ya know, Blondie, your father doesn't push his power around like some other kings I've seen. I mean, he's understanding and thoughtful, nothing like…"

He stopped himself and looked into Rapunzel's eyes. She was staring at him. "I guess you would know," she said. "After all, you're a thief. How many times have you been arrested?"

"Ex-thief, now bodyguard and I think it's going to stay that way," Flynn smiled, breathing a sigh of relief. Where the heck did that memory come from anyway?

"Well, if we're going to take a short ride, let's get the horses." Rapunzel said, running toward the stables, dragging Flynn behind her. "Peter should have our horses ready and waiting."

"He's that good a stable boy?"

Rapunzel smiled "Only the best for the King. Come on, you should know that."

"I always thought I did know everything," Flynn smiled.

Rapunzel stopped at the stable door, which was open. "What about this morning?"

"One little mistake."

"Little?"

"Now listen, Princess.."

But Rapunzel disappeared again, he assumed inside to find the stable boy.

"Excuse me, Your Highness, but your horse is ready."

Flynn turned around and stared into Peter's soft brown eyes, almost the same as him. It was if he was looking in a mirror.

He narrowed his eyes but still continued to stare. "Corni?" he asked, looking at his face and into his eyes.

The two stared at each for a while and Flynn thought that he could actually have seen the hint of a smile around the stable boy's mouth,

"The name's Peter, Guardsman," he said answered. "And this," he continued, "is your horse."

Flynn kept staring, but Peter had resumed his chores.

"Flynn?" she said, being careful not to call him by his real name in public. "Are you ready? We've got to be back in two hours."

Flynn decided what had just happened was all in his mind. He hadn't looked anything like the boy he had been searching for, but he had no time now to be confused. He gave one final look toward the stable then mounted his horse, then turned toward her. "Wanna race? I'm an expert rider, you know. Think about all those escapes from the law that I had to dodge?"

Rapunzel narrowed her eyes. "You're awfully modest for a thief, Eugene. How do you know I'm just as good a rider as you are."

"Well, I guess we'll have to see. Last one there buys the cupcakes in the courtyard."

"You're on," Rapunzel said. "Come on Plato, let's get going."

As they rode away, Peter stepped out of the shadow of the barn and watched the two of them as they disappeared around a bend. He smiled and shook his head. He was sure now that this was the one he had waited for.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"This is a great spot," Flynn said, stretching out on the grass. He had already unpacked the book from his saddlebags.

"Boy is this book heavy," Flynn said turning the thick volume over in his hand as Rapunzel lay down next to him. "How in the world did you manage to sneak it out of my room?"

Rapunzel smiled and grabbed it out of his hands. "Don't you worry, Mr. Know it All. Let's get to it. We don't have too much time left.

"What is it with you and this book?" He asked grabbing it back.

'I like history, Eugene and you know I love books. Anyway, I thought you did too Besides, it seems that you're pretty interested in it."

Flynn lifted an eyebrow and stared, a half smile on his lips. It was hard to turn his gaze back to the book, but she was right, there was something he needed to see. He opened it to the place she already had marked off and started reading aloud.

"The Kingdom of Charon is the most beautiful Kingdom of the four and is also most visited by tourists, but only by accident. Many people believe that because their Element is Air that most of the Healing Powers are on that island, when in fact they are not."

He smiled and looked over at Rapunzel. "You know, it's funny, but I remember my father telling me that he did exactly the same thing. What led him to Charon was the Healing Waters. An old innkeeper had to explain that the Healing Waters were on Caladonia and that he was looking in the wrong place. He then directed him to the Great Tree, where he visited every day after that. That tree healed him and saved his life."

Rapunzel smiled and stared at him. "You're opening up, Eugene. You're starting to remember things. Is your father still living, do you have any brothers or sisters? And what are you running from?"

Flynn stared at her. He was actually starting to remember things, things that he tried hard to forget.

"You're getting awfully personal, aren't you, Princess?"

Rapunzel shrugged. "I guess I'm just nosey. That's what Peter always says when I go down to the stables to visit sometimes. "

"Peter?"

Rapunzel nodded. "I've always had a thing for horses, Eugene. He knows so much about everything. He used to talk a lot of Charon and the other island kingdoms like he was there, but he says he just read about them in a book." She picked up the book and lost the page they were on. "I just feel close to him. And it gets me out of that castle."

"The stable boy?" You have a thing about the stable boy?" Flynn looked into her eyes. "You like him that much, do you?"

Rapunzel looked at him, a little smile playing on her lips. "You think a wanted thief is better than a stable boy?"

Eugene stared looked at her. "I'm just saying that he's no good for you."

"What makes you better?" Rapunzel countered.

He was about to tell her, but Rapunzel's blonde hair shining in the sun and the wind in her hair had hypnotized him and made her look lovelier than ever. That and those great big green eyes seemed more intriguing at the moment. He had never seen her this way before. She was wild and beautiful all at the same time.

"What about this?" Flynn said and he stretched over to kiss her. It was a little longer than it should have been. They pulled apart and they both stared at each other.

"Well?"

"Well what?" she answered, still looking at him.

"How does that make you feel? How does that compare with Peter?"

She laughed. "Can you do it again? I don't think I can tell you unless you do it again. And make it a bit longer this time?"

Flynn smiled and shook his head. He leaned in again, but this time she beat him to it. The kiss was long and lovely. She didn't want to stop when he pulled away.

"How about it, Blondie?"

Rapunzel studied his face. "Boy," she said, "you're even more handsome when you're jealous."

"Jealous? Of Peter?"

She nodded. "I wonder what Peter would say about all this since he loves Cora, my Lady in Waiting."

Flynn stared at her. "What?"

"You heard me," Rapunzel said. "We're just friends, Eugene Fitzherbert. Cora likes horses too. Very often she comes with me to visit Peter. When she's there, he shuts up like a clam."

Flynn didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry, Rapunzel. Maybe I was a bit jealous."

"You admit it?"

Flynn nodded moving closer.

"I didn't know you liked me quite that much?"

"I think it's more than like you, Princess. I think I'm in love with you. You're not your usual Princess. You have spunk and wit and I don't think I've ever met a woman like you. You're so much like me when I was younger."

When she didn't say anything, he continued.

"Your father hired me to keep you in line, to keep an eye on you. He wanted me to report your every move to him, but you know what? He doesn't seem to care one way or the other. I think he knows something else, Princess. I think he knows.."

Rapunzel looked into his brown eyes. "You know, I started reading that book because of all the tales he told. Last night I grabbed it from your room to check on something. I think you're something greater than a thief, Your Highness. I think it's all a cover up. You know too much about castles and royalty that a thief wouldn't even know about. "

Rapunzel leaned over to him and whispered. "So are you the lost prince of Charon?"

"For me to know and for you to find out, Blondie," Flynn whispered back and covered her lips with his. This time no one pulled away.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

From "The Invincible Four, The History of the Four Island Kingdoms."

One must note who is on the throne in this day and age, although these are the rulers of the Four Kingdoms as of the early 17th Century. This page is subject to change.

Corona is ruled by a beloved King and Queen. There is only one daughter and her name is Rapunzel,

Caladonia is ruled by Prince Westley and his wife, Queen Buttercup. They have two children, the older boy is named Westley and a little girl named Waverly.

Corsa is ruled by the Stabbingtons, King Edward an Queen Edwina. They have a boy, Simon.

Charon is ruled by the Fitzherberts, King Linus and Queen Olivia. They have three children, Eugene, Cornelius and Amelia.

XXXXX

"You never answered the question, Eugene?" Rapunzel whispered as they pulled apart.

"What question?" Flynn asked as he stared into her green eyes.

"Are you or aren't you?"

Flynn sighed and reached for the book. He opened up to the RULER FAQ PAGE.

Rapunzel smiled.

"I knew it was…"

Flynn held his finger up to his lips and looked around. "Rapunzel, please, I told you to…"

The sky darkened just a bit and the sound of thunder filled the cloudy sky followed by a flash of lightning.

Flynn scooped up the book and grabbed Rapunzel's hand. "Come on, before it starts to pour."

They took refuge in an abandoned house, not too far from Tower Falls. Just as they entered, the skies opened up. It heaped tons of water on the house and came through a leaky roof, hitting the two of them right on the nose. The two started to laugh.

They moved to a dry corner and plopped down on the straw lined floor. Flynn dropped the book in front of them.

Rapunzel grabbed the book. "Well I guess the lanterns are out for tonight."

Flynn smiled and grabbed the book back. 'We'll see. These showers don't last too long. We might be able to see them after all."

He opened it to the FAQ page and went immediately to Charon's ruling family, the Fitzherbert's

He studied the hand drawn portraits. "Does this look like anyone you know? Because I may not be…"

"I know you are, Eugene. And that's Cornelius next to you. You had a pretty sister."

Flynn looked around. "These walls have ears, Princess. Watch it." He leaned in again to kiss her, but she brushed him off.

"I think we're quite alone, Eugene."

Flynn shrugged. :"I have to agree, Blondie. I really don't see anyone else here."

Rapunzel bunched her hands into fists and placed them on her cheeks. She inched a little closer.

Flynn smiled. "Everything?"

She nodded.

"From the beginning?"

Rapunzel nodded again. "Or as much as you can remember."

They both looked up when the thunder boomed. The rain was coming down harder now. Flynn smiled.

"I guess if we don't come back they'll send the guards after us."

"EUGENE!" Rapunzel yelled; then covered her lips with her hand. She hadn't intended it to be that loud.

Flynn laughed and took her hand away. "No one is going to be out in this storm," he answered, looking at her. "All right, I'll tell you, but it's got to be brief and we've got to keep it down,"

XXXXX

"I don't know about all this rain, my love," The King said as he brought the Queen inside the castle gate. "We can't very well do the lanterns if it keeps up like this."

"I'm worried about Rapunzel," the Queen said. "And I think that boy is with her."

The King smiled. "Rider? Yes, I hope so. Why do you thjnk I hired the boy in the first place."

"So that they could get to know each other?' The Queen said. "After all, you know that…"

"Shh.." the King said, "These walls have ears. No one should know about our little Prince yet."

The Queen smiled. "He's not so little, my lord. He's not as tiny as the last time you laid eyes on him. "

The King laughed. "Yes I remember, 17 years ago. We had just introduced Rapunzel to her betrothed on Charon. Rapunzel just turned one and Eugene was just 6. He always adored her from the first time he saw her."

They both laughed at that. "Yes it's true, my Lady," the King answered, but I'm sure that.."

"Your Majesty?" Manny said, interrupting them. "It seems our little Prince has just awakened."

The King's eyes widened. "I have to talk with him, Manny. I'll be there soon."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Flynn sighed and stood up, walking over to ruined window. He watched the rain fall and the lightning light up the sky with the thunder just right after it. He was wrong about the storm; it wasn't going to let up anytime soon. And that meant that he was going to have to find a way to get her alone so he could give her her birthday gift. But right now, it would have to wait.

"Well, it starts out five years ago. We were returning to the castle from our usual Saturday outings when we were ambushed in the woods and the carriage overturned spilling us out. Well, some of us anyway. At first, my father thought that they were gypsies but as it turned out it was the Stabbington brothers, Samuel and Edward and three other cousins from Corona and Corsa. My father called out to Samuel to stop, but that didn't happen. Because my father recognized him, Samuel stabbed him in the stomach. After having their way with my mother and 13 year old sister, they shot them. Then there were the two of us. When they managed to hit Corni over the head with the butt of the gun, I had enough. That's when I picked my brother up and carried him in my arms, I ran with him like that until I found a thick bramble of bushes. I placed my brother down first inside and before I bent down to crawl in, Edward raised his musket and managed to graze my arm, here."

He turned to face her and rolled up the sleeve of his white shirt to reveal a scar on his upper left arm.

"It didn't bleed," he continued, rolling his sleeve back down. It just shocked me a bit. When they came closer, all I could think to do was just lie there and play dead, hoping that they'd go away. As they approached, I heard a gun cock and was afraid that they would shoot us, but someone else called Samuel and told him that my sister was still alive. She had made the mistake of crying and calling out our names. Apparently, they'd missed her when they shot. I picked my head up and watched as they grabbed my sister and shoved her into the upside down carriage. My mother and father, who were already dead, came next. Then they burnt the entire thing. You could hear my sister's screams as she called out my name for help, but all I could do was listen to the wood crackle and watch the flames leap high into the sky."

"How did you escape?" Rapunzel asked, as tears started in her big green eyes.

Flynn looked at her and continued. "I waited until nightfall when I was sure they were gone. Corni was just coming to and I told him what happened. I said we'd stick together for awhile until I could get him to safety and that I'd go out on my own. I suggested we change names and thus Flynn Rider of the famous book was born. My brother became Peter Buford, Flynn's faithful and trusty sidekick. No one seemed to connect the two."

"My reputation as a thief began when I needed food and water to keep up his strength. When we got to the Great Tree, I got permission to heal my brother. We took shelter in a livery in the village and that's where I left my brother temporarily while I scouted around for food. The owner found him and took him in which worked out very well. Corni is great with horses, ya know, but I think you already knew that. "

Flynn smiled at the thought. He was going to confront him first thing when they returned their horses to the stable.

"Since then I've tried to block out what happened, to forget everything that happened. I guess I didn't want to face the reality of what happened."

"I don't blame you," Rapunzel answered, "but how do you know my father?" Rapunzel asked him.

Flynn smiled. "He caught me, Princess. He locked me up in a cell and kept me there before a guard came and directed me to his study. He shut the door and told me that he knew who I really was and that he knew my brother as well. He said he would pardon all my crimes and reunite me with my brother, but first I had to do him a small favor. He wanted to me to meet with you, and then see what I thought about it all. So you running into me the night we met was no accident. I was there because he asked me to be there. We met again and he asked me if I would take the bodyguard job and I said I would. You heard the rest of it."

He looked over at Rapunzel who had just started crying.

"Eugene," she said, standing up and running over to him. "I'm so sorry for your loss." She ran into his arms and he enveloped her with them. "I had no idea that you went through all this."

"There are some things that I have blocked out," Flynn said, squeezing her into his chest. "I just don't want to repeat them here. In fact…"

Flynn stopped as he heard something in the woods. It sounded like footsteps. The rain had let up a bit, but it was still thundering.

He untangled himself from Rapunzel's grip around his waist and put his finger to his lips. He crept quietly to the door and waited for the footsteps to get closer.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Alright," the King said, staring at the man in the bed. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Prince Simon Stabbington looked up. "I'm Prince Simon, son of Edward and Edwina Stabbington of Corsa. "You did send for me, Majesty, I'm here to marry your daughter. We are…"

"Yes, yes, yes," the King spat out, waving his hand at him. "I've heard this before. I told someone looking exactly like you that the marriage contract was put on hold, but now I think it's dissolved altogether. And besides, my daughter's already betrothed. I don't know why I made this deal in the first place." He glared at him angrily.

"Let me ask this again. Who are you and what are you doing here? And why do you look exactly like the man who has already…"

The King stopped. The wanted posters; all those wanted posters. That's why he looked familiar.

"Well, I see my cousin has been here," Simon answered. "And posing as me, I would assume."

"Then you must be…"

"Yes, Sire, I am Edward and Edwina's son. You remember that she died in childbirth giving birth to my brother or so it was told to me."

The King sat down on the bed. "Yes, I remember and you're right. I did invite you here only to send you back. My wife and daughter have changed their minds and I totally agree with them.

The King stood up and turned toward the doorway, then turned back. "Maybe you can tell me exactly what's going on here? Who beat you and why were you left for dead?"

Simon stared up at him. His eyes were still discolored and the redness on his face, hands and legs still healing.

"There's a plot to take over the Four Kingdoms, Sire, by my father and his brother. He wants to get all the nobles out of the way so he can master the Four Elements and rule all four Kingdoms. With me gone, he's got three. Your kingdom is the only left."

The King stared at him and shook his head. He smiled, but that smile soon turned to laughter. He turned back toward the door, head down. "Is that what he thinks? Doesn't he realize that…"

.A passing shadow made the King look up. He frowned as he watched the tall, red haired young man with the sideburns walking down the hallway.

"Uh, Prince Simon," he called out, making the big man turn around.

Sideburns smiled. "Your Majesty?"

"I would love to get to know you a little better. Can we talk a bit before you leave? And I would really love to introduce you to someone."

XXXXX

Flynn pushed Rapunzel behind him and drew his sword waiting for the footsteps to stop. In the silence he heard something else, something like a horse clopping.

"Is there anyone in there?" a familiar voice called out. He peered inside.

Rapunzel smiled. "PETER," she called out and ran from behind Flynn to embrace him. What are you doing here and how did you know…"

Her voice trailed off as she saw the stable boy staring at the bodyguard. She looked from one to the other and for the first time, Rapunzel saw the resemblance between the two. 

"Corni?" Flynn whispered, placing his sword back inside the holder. He reached up to touch his cheek. "Is it really you?"

Cornelius Fitzherbert smiled and nodded his head. He took Flynn's hand into his own.

"It's me, Eugene. I've waited a long time for you to find me."

"Well, you found me," Flynn answered looking into his eyes.

"I think we found each other, brother," Peter smiled and they embraced each other, the two of them finally reunited. They both pulled apart "And hey, you're still alive."

"And so are you. You never looked better,"

"You two have to be careful," Rapunzel said, interrupting the family reunion. "You're still not out of the woods yet. The Stabbingtons could very well be still on your trail."

Flynn smiled. "She's right, you know. We have to be very careful; keep our identities secret. The night has eyes and ears. Voices carry, especially in the silence."

Peter nodded and looked up. "The rain has let up a bit. The King wanted me to let you know that the Lanterns Festival has been postponed on account of the weather. "

"Nice to know, Peter," Flynn answered smiling. "But tell me, how did you know we were here?"

XXXXX

True to Rapunzel's word, there was someone following them. It was Eye Patch and Lisa Stabbington trying to trail the stable boy in the rain.

"I thought you told me that you knew where you going?" Eye Patch turned to Lisa angrily, spitting out the words.

"I thought I did," Lisa said. "I think it's all this rain that's confusing me. You know, I don't remember it ever raining on a Royal birthday before, especially the Princess Rapunzel's."

Eye Patch ignored her and pulled out a map from his saddlebag. The paper was soaking wet in a matter of seconds.

Lisa stared at him and grabbed the map away, ripping it in half. The ruined map fell to the ground.

"Hey," Eye Patch said, looking at the wet paper on the ground.

Lisa frowned. "How were you going to read that anyway? Besides, I don't see any landmarks. All I see is tree after tree after…"

She stopped as she heard something.

"What are you doing?" Eye Patch said, "We already lost the stable boy."

"Quiet, I hear something."

Eye Patch nodded. "Yeah, I know. It's only the birds."

"I don't think so," she answered, creeping in a little closer.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Someone explain what's really going on," the King said, pacing back and forth in the physician's rooms. He looked first at Sideburns then at Simon Devon Stabbington, the real Prince of Corsa, not Charon.

Sideburns stared at his first cousin. He never realized that someone looked exactly like him, well almost like him. There were differences, but no one else would realize it. He looked up at the King. For once he was speechless.

"I should have known something was wrong when you only used your middle name."

Simon shook his head. "No, Sire, I'm called Devon everywhere, except in the history books. My father hated the name, but she decided to go along with my mother and name me after her father, Simon. He was a landowner and Lemuel's close friend. He was the original owner of these islands, not Nathaniel as legends will tell you. We don't know what happened exactly, some say it was a card game, some say it was murder; all my mother seemed to know was that there was foul play involved." He turned toward Sideburns then.

"And it's on both sides, cousin. I don't know why he had you posing as me and I don't know why he sent me when Rapunzel is already engaged to be married."

"Samuel always hoped that all the Fitzherberts died in the carriage accident." Sideburns finally answered. "And he didn't do so well there either. The girl managed to escape the fire as did her father and mother. Their partially burnt remains were found later. We're not sure how that happened, but we think they must have had help or that the girl didn't die. He sent Devon here as a pawn. We were supposed to kill him and make it look like an accident. He was supposed to be found by the road, but the Prince escaped early from our hideout still alive. I was to marry Rapunzel and then Samuel was to have all Four Kingdoms and master the Four Elements."

"Well, they do say in situations like that humans develop strength that they didn't know they possess. I suppose that this is what happened with the girl, although…" The King shook his head; he would need to question Eugene Fitzherbert later on. He looked at Sideburns. "Samuel really thinks that in order to master the Four Elements he needs to rule all the Kingdoms himself?"

Sideburns nodded. "Isn't that how it works?"

"Have you read the book, cousin? Don't you realize that mastering the Four Elements means no violence in any way, shape or form?"

Sideburns was still at a loss. He shook his head.

The King sighed and continued. "Each island has a unique healing power; that was the miracle. And although each island has its own healing power, all four elements exist on every island. We don't know how it was set up, but it was. Each royal has been given the power to rule the islands as they see fit. To master each of the elements, there can be no takeovers, no false rulers. In other words, no violence of any kind, no wars or treason. Each island must be ruled separately, but all has to be in perfect harmony. This way peace and prosperity will rule the Island Kingdoms and keep them safe from harm forever. If this rule is not followed, one by one each kingdom will fall into ruin and disrepair. This is the true meaning of mastering the Four Elements. Samuel should know this."

Sideburns stared at him. "So this means that every Island Kingdom has to get along with each other, despite their differences. And each kingdom should be thankful for what they already have instead of wanting more."

The King smiled at his cousin and nodded his head. "You got it, my boy,"

He turned to the real Prince of Corsa. "He's using your father as well, Simon. He's keeping him alive until he acquires all four kingdoms. I suppose that's why everything is still intact."

Simon shook his head. "No, Your Majesty, Charon and Corsa are starting to crumble. It's only a matter of time before Caledonia and Corona follow."

The King turned away. "Then it's beginning." He looked up at Sideburns again. "Don't you realize that Samuel wouldn't have all four kingdoms, he would have to get rid of you and your siblings as well, along with me, my wife and my daughter?"

Sideburns stared at him, and then lowered his head, looking at the ground. "I guess I didn't, Your Majesty. We were supposed to be paid well and…"

The King frowned, and then turned to Manny who was standing next to him, silent all this time. "Get this imposter out of here, Guardsman. Throw him in a cell and lock him up. We'll sort out their punishment later. And send out the Guards to find the other two criminals."

"What about your daughter?" Manny asked.

"I know she's safe and out of harm's way. I have already taken steps to make sure of that."

He turned to the Prince of Corsa. "Right now, Simon or Devon, or whatever your name is, we've got to move you into private quarters and keep you here a while longer than I originally planned. We need you alive. The only reason I'm not locking you up is that I need you to get your father and uncle to come here to Corona. Can you do this for me? You will be rewarded handsomely for this."

"The name is Devon, Sire, I would prefer that rather than Simon. That's my real name in the history book. And the answer is yes."

XXXX

"This is the most intelligent horse we acquired, Flynn," Peter said, pulling him in front of the doorway. He was all white from tail to mane. He pawed the ground and snorted. "His name is Maximus. He got me here and he'll get you two to a safe place. This is the King's order. He will send for you when he needs you. He also request that you marry. After all, you were originally Rapunzel's intended"

"What?" Flynn said, raising his eyebrow. "But Peter, we haven't even gotten to know each other yet." He turned to Rapunzel and took her hands. "How is that possible? I don't remember a thing, although I do remember…"

Peter shushed them and pointed to Max. "Get on the horse, Flynn; the both of you. Find a justice of the peace and marry as fast as you can. Things will be explained in due time. I don't know everything yet, although I know the King will tell me when he can. Now go, before the Stabbingtons catch up with us. They were following my trail."

The rain started to come down again, a bit harder than before. It was going to be difficult traveling, Flynn thought, but if Maximus could find a way then he would follow him.

"Alright, Peter. I'll do as you say, although I think we should stay and fight them, at least stand up to them."

Peter shook his head. "You fight them and the Kingdom of Corona will start to crumble. You know as well as I do about mastering the Four Elements. Now go. I'll take the stallions back."

Flynn picked up Rapunzel and placed her on Max. Then he and Peter embraced. "Get going, brother. Everything will be fine. We'll be together again, I promise."

Flynn climbed up on Maximus to join Rapunzel. "We'll wait for your message, Peter. Keep safe."

And Peter watched as the two rode off into the windswept rain. He tied one stallion to the other and climbed on one and made for the castle.

XXXXX

Lisa and Eye Patch were lost. They were going around in circles and the rain and the mud had slowed them down. The voices that Lisa thought she heard were just birds in the woods.

"I think we're lost," Eye Patch said, looking around.

"Ya think?" Lisa said, sarcastically.

The two had practically given up on anything until they spied a white horse taking off in one direction and another set of black horses going in the other. This time they weren't sure which way to go at all.

They decided to follow the rider with the two black horses. He would lead them in the right direction.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The rain falling on Charon did nothing to clean the dirty streets. Lightning and thunder revealed the terrible destruction of brick and mortar crumbling into dust on the streets. And through these wet and darkened streets rode a young courier making his way to the castle. He pushed the horse to go faster as he rounded the corner and onto the bridge. When he reached the gate, a Guardsman stopped him.

"I have an urgent message for Mr. Stabbington, sir." The soaking wet 18 year old jumped off his horse and handed the paper to the Guard to examine.

"All clear, courier. You may proceed."

The courier thanked the Guard and walked his horse to the front gate where he pulled on bell.

It was Samuel who answered. He had unloaded his servants years ago.

"Yes?" he inquired.

"Message for you, sir," the courier said, handing him the wax sealed envelope.

Samuel looked at the inscription in the shape of the sun. He nodded his head. It was from the King of Corona.

"Thank you, my boy."

And he closed the door right in his face. The courier stared at the door and shook his head. It wasn't the first time and wouldn't be the last. He turned, and walked his horse back through the ruined gate. He wasn't told to wait for an answer and he was certainly not going to press.

He mounted his steed and rode off, disappearing into the dark rainy night.

XXXX

Maximus had indeed found them an inn complete with a justice of the peace. It wasn't too far off from the abandoned house. Not only did they marry couples, but they put them up as well. They married at once with the justice's wife being their only witness.

They paid the justice for his services and were about to go upstairs when they saw Maximus pawing the ground and staring straight at them.

"That's one smart horse," Flynn said, watching him, and then he turned to Rapunzel. "Do you remember him?"

Rapunzel shook her head. "I've never seen this horse before." She looked at him curiously. "Eugene, he's trying to tell us something. I think he sees something out there."

"Corni might be in trouble," Flynn said, looking at her. "You stay here, I'll be.."

"No," Rapunzel said, "I'm coming with you. Remember, for better or worse?"

Flynn shook his head. "I don't think that they really meant it…"

Rapunzel's kiss silenced him, then she pulled away. "I don't care how they meant it, Eugene. I'm coming with you and nothing you do or say will stop me."

Flynn smiled. "A runaway princess to the end, aren't you?"

"And I'm going to stay that way, my Prince."

Flynn smiled. "Let's go."

XXXXX

Samuel threw down the letter. He turned to his brother.

"He wants us to come to Corona, Edward and he wants us to get there as quickly as we possibly can. It seems that your son can't keep his mouth shut."

"What are you saying?"

Samuel shook his head. "He spilled the beans, brother. He told the King of our plot."

Edward frowned, then picked up the letter. "I'm looking, Samuel. Where does it say that? All it says here is that.."

"Oh shut up, Edward," Samuel said, grabbing the letter from his hand. He crumpled it, and then thinking better of it, opened it up again. He smoothed it out, folded it and then began to rip it into a million pieces.

"You and your son are idiots. You can't pull off anything without creating some kind of drama, can you?"

Edward didn't say anything, just looked down at the floor. "Samuel, you don't know what's going on? How do you know.."

"The King would never have bothered to send me this if everything had been the same," Samuel said, shaking his head.

"So what will we do? Edward asked. "We can't just sit and around and wait."

Samuel looked out at the crumbling streets. All he heard around him were screams and cries of despair. He had to fix this, he had to. He would have had to visit Corona eventually. What was the saying? If you needed to get something done, it was best to do it yourself?

Samuel smiled at the thought. Okay, he'd go there. And maybe, just maybe he'd be able to do what Edward's son had not done.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Sire," Manny said, running into the parlor where the King and Queen were playing backgammon. "He slipped out of our hands."

The King looked up from the game and his wife turned to look. "Who are we talking about Manny?"

He looked back to the game. The Queen was beating him by a mile.

"The Stabbington boy; one minute he was here the next he was gone."

The King went back to the game. He was studying his next move. "Don't worry, Manfred. He won't get far; we have guards posted everywhere. On false move and he's in the cell. Mark my words, Manny, he'll be behind bars sooner than you think. He's surrounded."

Manny frowned. "But Sire, his brother and sister are still out there."

The King looked up, then stood up and walked over to where he was standing.  
>"Leave it alone, Guardsman. It's all being taken care of. I'll guarantee that that imposter will be in his cell along with the other two, not to mention my wife's cousins."<p>

And with that, he turned and walked slowly back to his game.

XXXXX

"So where are we?" Eye Patch asked his sister. They were following the one with the two black stallions but it was hard to keep an eye on him with all this rain coming down. The color of the horses didn't help either.

"I don't know, but we'd better get moving before this rain gets worse," Lisa said as she told the horse to get moving, but the horse wouldn't budge.

Or was it couldn't budge?

"HELP," the two of them screamed as they realized they were sinking in the mud.

"Hey guys, are we stuck in the mud?" A new voice boomed as the man with red hair and sideburns on the side of his cheeks, stopped by their horses.

"Brother?" Lisa asked. A smile lit up her sad face.

"In the flesh, guys," Sideburns answered, coming into the light of the moon. The rain had just suddenly let up. "We'll pull you out."

"We'll?" Eye Patch asked as Sideburns reined in the King's prized stallions. On one was Peter and on the other was Flynn, both bound and gagged.

Lisa frowned. "That's Rider and the stable boy. They're nobodies."

Sideburns smiled. "That's what you think."

XXXXX

It seemed like hours since Eugene walked through the inn door. He told her he was just going to saddle Max and be right back. Rapunzel waited and waited and waited. She watched the clock on the mantle, heard it ticking. Ten minutes had gone by and Rapunzel couldn't stand it anymore, She ran out the door, hoping that she'd see something, anything.

No one was there except for Maximus who stared at her and whinnied. He pawed the ground and whinnied again.

"Which way did they go, Max?" Rapunzel asked the horse, who pointed with his tail and whinnied again.

She nodded. "Okay. I'll be right back. I just need to borrow something." She ran back through the door way and grabbed two swords that were crisscrossed on the parlor room wall.

"I'll return these," she told herself and ran out and mounted Max. He would know exactly which way those criminals went. She wanted to find her Eugene and quickly.

With the swords safely tucked inside their sheaths, she commanded Max to go as fast as he could go.

The justice and his wife heard the commotion and ran downstairs to only to find a hastily scribbled piece of paper left on a small table in the foyer.

"Be back soon. Sorry about the swords, but I promise they will be returned. And once I promise something, I never break that promise."

The justice handed a piece of paper over to his wife who shook her head.

"Kid's today," was all she said.

Her husband simply agreed.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Don't you know it's raining out? Aren't you guys wet? Haven't you had enough?" Lisa Stabbington complained loudly as the five of them trudged through the rain and mud. "I need to dry off somewhere. And above all I think I need to use a privy."

"It can't be that far to the tower, " Eye Patch said, looking at his twin. "Come on, brother, you always know how to get there? Where's that compass of yours?"

"I know what direction the tower is in," Lisa screamed, "but I need to get out of this rain and I need it now." She stared at her brother. "I don't need him and his compass."

Sideburns looked first at his prisoners, then at Lisa. "You know where to go?"

Lisa nodded. "There's an abandoned mill around the next bend. There's a burned out house not too far away. You can see the tower from there and we can dry off and make our way to the tower tomorrow."

"Alright, I think it's a good idea. I'll do anything to get out of this rain."

Eye Patch frowned. Sideburns would never let Lisa talk to him that way. Sideburns had always the leader, not the follower. He always gave the orders.

Besides, no matter where they were, he always knew his way back to the tower.

XXXXX

Max knew his way around, alright. His strong sense of smell put her on the trail of something, even in the rain. Rapunzel was so determined to find her new husband that she forgot how soaking wet she really was.

Suddenly, Max came to a halt. He picked up his head and looked at her and whinnied softly.

"What's wrong, Maximus?" Rapunzel leaned over and patted him, when she heard voices, well, one voice anyway. A female's voice and one she recognized.

Lisa Stabbington.

Rapunzel couldn't hear too much, the thunder and the raindrops from the tree leaves made it difficult.

"Come on, boy, quietly now,"

As she moved closer, she was able to hear a bit more, someone shouting to help him inside with the prisoners, whom she assumed was Flynn and Peter. She tried to get in a closer to see their faces against the lighted torches, but she wasn't having much luck.

XXXXX

Flynn, who was sitting on Rapunzel's horse, Plato, was struggling to get out of his bonds. He should've realized it was a trick when he opened the door to the inn and saw Peter sitting on black stallion, but that was all he saw. He was hit on the head and the next thing he knew, he was bound and gagged as well. It was Sideburns who captured him and explained to him that they were going to meet up with the rest of the Stabbingtons in the woods. The two lost princes would be turned over to his cousin, Samuel, who was on his way to Corona this very minute. He was going to take care of the rest of the Royal family once the brothers were out of the way and that wouldn't be too much longer now.

Flynn watched as his brother, Peter, wriggled the gag off his mouth. He protested loudly and called attention to himself by struggling to free himself. Sideburns just laughed and said he'd be free soon enough once they got to where they were going. Then he knocked Peter unconscious with the handle of his knife, keeping him quiet. Satisfied, they moved onward until they reached Lisa and Eye Patch in the woods.

Flynn had years of practice where his brother didn't. Five years to be exact. The Guards called him a slippery snake for a reason. He managed to break every bond that he was in and would disappear into the woods as well, leaving no trace behind him. It was as if he was never there and it frustrated the Captain to no end. This time, he managed to free himself as he worked silently to free his right hand. Now he started on his left, but he wasn't alone this time. He had others to think about. By the time they reached Lisa and Eye Patch, Flynn had both hands free, but kept them behind his back until the time came when he would be free to use them. And he knew that time was coming soon.

XXXXX

"Help me get these prisoners inside," Sideburns said, as he jumped off his horse, but there was no answer. Lisa and Eye Patch had disappeared, both looking for the privies. There were two actually. The burned out house, not too far from the mill, had it own outhouse and Lisa had made good use of it. Eye Patch had already found the holes that served as the mill's privy. They met quietly in between the outhouse and the mill before heading back to their brother.

"That's not our brother," Lisa said, tilting her head in Sideburns' direction.

Eye Patch frowned. "How can you tell? It looks enough like him to me?"

Lisa stared at him. "That's as far as it goes, brother. He doesn't act the same. Haven't you noticed that he's different?"

Eye Patch thought about it. "Well, he would have pulled out that compass to get us back to the tower and didn't. He hadn't a clue how to get back."

"And didn't protest when I mentioned the mill," Lisa said, shaking her head. "It's just not like him, brother."

Eye Patch thought more. "Let's wait and see what he does, Lisa. He still has to follow Samuel's orders."

Lisa shook her head. "I have a bad feeling about this," she answered. "But I'll go along with this anyway. You might be right after all, but I'm warning you, brother. One false move and I'm taking charge of this little trip, you got me?"

Eye Patch nodded and Lisa smiled. She looked back to where Sideburns was waiting for them, but couldn't see him through the thick forest that separated the outhouse from the mill. Lisa had chosen the site well. No one would know that brother and sister now had their own plan to follow.

XXXXX

Sideburns looked around to make sure the coast was clear. He was sure that Lisa and Eye Patch were out of sight. He turned his attention to Flynn. "Wake him up, Your Highness and help me get him inside. We don't have too much time left."

Flynn brought his hands to the front and reined Plato over to where Peter's was sitting.

"Come on Peter, show's over. We've got to do this and do this quickly. It's time to get this show on the road."

Peter opened his eyes and smiled. He looked over in Sideburns direction. "Go on, Devon, we're behind you. We know exactly what to do."

Devon smiled and looked up. "Well at least the rain stopped."

Flynn looked at him and smiled. "That's one thing in our favor."

It was then that Plato whinnied. It was all Flynn could do to quiet him down before attracting Eye Patch and Lisa's attention.

XXXXX

Rapunzel was planning her next move. She was close enough to hear the conversation between Flynn and Devon so she knew who the players were in this game, but she didn't know the plan. She retrieved the swords from Max and quietly led him through the woods when Plato whinnied. Max answered it with his own.

"Quiet, Max," she whispered, inching forward, but she was stopped by something cold against her back.

"Well, well, look who's here," she heard a female voice called out. "Move forward, my little Princess and don't make a sound or you're dead."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The Guards were all grouped together, waiting for a signal from Devon, Flynn or Peter. At that time, they would surround the burned out house and mill. Two of their scouts had trailed Devon and his so called prisoners.

It was almost 10 according to the church bells at St. Basil's. It was dark and damp in the woods, even though the rain had finally stopped. Fog was also seeping in, making it difficult for the two scouts to see exactly what was happening, Everything was eerily quiet and still.

But that was all about to change.

XXXXX

Rapunzel stood stock still, the coldness still pressing into her back. "You want to kill the Princess of Corona, Lisa? Do you really want to spend the rest of your life locked in a prison cell?"

Lisa pressed the flintlock pistol deeper into her back. It was good that her father, who was once a Guardsman himself, left this priceless heirloom to all three of his children. They made good use of it, but mostly for food, never against people. This was now a convenient time to use it. It involved what she loved best; the element of surprise. She hadn't actually considered the consequences of her actions in the long run, though.

Did she really want to spend the rest of her life in a dungeon, inside a cold damp dark cell with other criminals for the rest of her life? Without ever seeing the light of day? She'd be charged with murder, wouldn't she?

Lisa slowly withdrew the gun from Rapunzel's back. But it gave the Princess just enough time to turn around, sword in hand, knocking the pistol from Lisa's hand.

It was close enough for Lisa to grab and she bent down to try to reach for it, but Rapunzel's sword knocked it further away.

"Don't move," she said, threatening her with sword.

"I'm unarmed, Princess," Lisa said, slowly getting to her feet. Her pistol gone, all she had left was her knife, but she'd have to pull it out of her boot and Rapunzel's sword was stopping her. She did the next best thing and lunged for the other sword still in Rapunzel's hand.

XXXXX

Devon managed to pull his compass out and held it up to the light of the moon. He flashed it three times hoping that the waiting scouts would see it and signal the guards to surround the house and the mill.

Flynn and Peter jumped from the stallions and looked around. They had expected many more Stabbington cousins, but there was no one here, unless they were all meeting at the tower.

"Where did the two of them go?" Flynn turned to Peter. "They just disappeared into thin air?"

"They're still dangerous," Devon said, interrupting their conversation. "They could surprise us at any minute. Who knows what they could do?"

"Or try to do," Peter said. He looked at Flynn. "Do you know the way to the tower ? We could check there."

"Believe it or not, I know exactly where the tower is and they'd never suspect me," Devon said. "Maybe we could…"

A hand reached out and grabbed Devon by the shoulder. Eye Patch pulled out his knife and held it up to Devon's throat.

"Go on," he said, "finish what you were saying. Don't let me interrupt you."

XXXXX

The two scouts saw Devon's flash and one rode off to warn the Guards. The other scout spurred his horse forward to see if they needed any help.

"Excuse me, Guardsman," a voice called out, "can you help us? We're looking for our cousins, the Stabbingtons? One has an eye patch and the other has fiery red hair?"

The Guardsman looked up, but couldn't make out the traveler as he felt a bullet graze his upper left arm and he fell from his horse.

"Finish him off, boy," the hooded figure said, "I believe the house and the mill are right down the road."

XXXXX

Lisa grabbed the other sword from Rapunzel's hand. "You think you're the only one who learned to fence? Not to be modest but I was the best in my class."

"I never said that I was the only one who could," Rapunzel said, holding out her sword. "And actually, Lisa Stabbington, how do you know that I wasn't at the top of mine?"

Lisa thrust her sword angrily at Rapunzel, but Rapunzel was quicker. They parried back and forth, Lisa and Rapunzel slipping in the mud. Rapunzel managed to knock the sword out of Lisa's hand, only for her to fall and grab it back again.

Rapunzel managed to knock the sword out of Lisa's hand, disappearing in the mud. Rapunzel lost her balance and slipped into the mud herself, the sword falling out her hands. Lisa grabbed Rapunzel's blonde hair and yanked her down into the mud.

And that's when the fighting began.

XXXXX

The Guards were on the move. They headed toward the house and mill one way while two Stabbington cousins, namely Greybeard, the hooded man and Hollis, his 16 year old son. They had newly arrived from Caledonia and were just about to bump into the Guardsmen.

Those two never made it to the meeting place.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The night sky was dark, extremely dark, there was no moon; all that could be seen were torches that lit up the night sky. First there was only a few of them, but they would turn to thousands, like a swarm of locusts feeding on crops. They were multiplying rather quickly.

And they were heading for the Queen's bedchamber inside Corona Castle.

"No," the Queen screamed, as she sat up in bed. "They must be stopped. They must be stopped. We have to…"

"My love, please wake up," the King said as he brushed her cheek with his hand. "What's wrong? Please tell me,"

"The Stabbingtons," she said, turning toward her husband. "They're coming to take over all Four Kingdoms. And we're standing in the way,"

The King took her into his arms. She started to cry, but the King held on. This wasn't the first prophetic dream she had, she's had them before. She knew when Rapunzel was in danger from a creature named Mother Gothel, so they moved her quarters deeper inside the castle walls to where she could never find her.

She knew about Flynn Rider being the missing Prince of Charon and now she knew that the Stabbingtons were coming to destroy the Four Island Kingdoms as they knew it.

The King knew that they would have to deal with this sooner of later, he just had to think up how. He had to solve this once and for all, but he knew that war was never the answer. No, this had to be done through non violence or else the entire Four Kingdoms would be in danger of collapsing. Three already were and it would be a matter of time before Corona joined them.

"Yes, my love, it's alright now," he soothed her until she stopped crying. "I love you, my Queen and believe me, I'm going to take steps to see that this will never happen. You can count on me. I'll make you proud."

She pulled away finally and he wiped the tears from her cheek.

"You're not going to start a war? You can't…"

The King smiled and shook his head. "No, my love, there are several ways I can nip this revolution in the bud. "He cupped her chin. "Now you listen to me. You get some sleep. Right now I have to start planning our next move. I already have some ideas and I'm going to meet with the Guards tomorrow morning. And I promise you, not one ounce of blood will be spilled."

The Queen smiled, and then kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Thank you," was all she said, before lying down and stretching out her slender body. Soon she was asleep again.

XXXXX

"Aw, come on," Flynn said, jokingly as two Stabbington cousins posing as Guards grabbed his right arm and then his left. They had already bound Peter and were working on Flynn, but he was putting up a little fight. Eye Patch still had his knife to Devon's throat.

"Where's my brother?"

"He's locked up in a cell, Stabbington. He tried to get away, but it didn't work. And you and your cousins are all next. This little trick will cost you, all of you."

"You should be on our side," Eye Patch said.

"I am on your side," Devon said, "You should give this up this little rebellion of yours. It's going to result in the destruction of everything you know. This paradise will wiped clean if you carry out this little scheme of yours."

"Oh, I'm so scared," Eye Patch said, laughing. He took the knife away from Devon's throat for a second to clean something quickly.

That's all that Flynn Rider needed.

He sprang out of his bonds and punched the two fake guards in the face. Then he kicked Eye Patch in the groin, making him fall and drop the knife. Flynn quickly scooped up the fallen knife and cut his brother's bonds. Satisfied, he removed his sword and handed it to Peter.

"Keep this handy," he whispered as he moved over Devon.

"You alright?" he asked quickly, handing him the knife.

Devon nodded, bring his left hand up to soothe his throat. He held the knife in his right hand.

The two Stabbington cousins were coming to and starting to get up. Flynn was about to pounce, but something else took care of them, something large and white with a flowing mane and long tail. 

"Max," Peter and Flynn said together, laughing.

But Max whinnied and thrust his head forward, indicating something was wrong in the woods. 

"Rapunzel," Flynn said, as he heard screams coming from inside. He turned toward him as the horse whinnied and nodded his head.

Flynn nodded and mounted the white horse. He gave a quick look around and noticed that Eye Patch was still down, moving from side to side, grabbing his crotch in pain. He looked up and noticed that the Guards had arrived and the meeting place was now surrounded. They picked up the two Stabbiington cousins as two Guards grabbed the pained Eye Patch and helped him to his feet.

Flynn smiled and spurred Max on. "Come on, Max, show me how fast you can run."

XXXXX

Flynn found the two girls wrestling in the mud.

"That's enough, ladies," he said, pulling his wife off of Lisa. "Calm down, take it easy." He looked up as he heard footsteps through the mud, the marsh and the reeds.

"The Guards followed Max and me here. Your little game to take over the Four Kingdoms is just about finished."

And just as he said that, four Guards came and dragged Lisa out of the mud. They bound a kicking and screaming Lisa and gagged her as best they could.

Flynn knelt in mud next to his wife. "Hey, Princess, did you know that you're beautiful when you're angry?"

Rapunzel smiled as she threw herself at her husband, knocking him down in the mud puddle.

"You're not so bad yourself, Rider," she whispered as she covered his lips with hers. Not even the Guards could separate them.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The small ferry was off the coast of Caledonia and was fast approaching Corona Harbor. It was almost dawn, the night had quickly gone by and the rain had finally stopped. It had been a long journey, but Samuel wasn't really concerned about exact time. He was thinking more along the lines of how he was going to pull this off. First he and Edward to head to their meeting spot, Lisa knew where that was. He had contacted all the cousins, maybe about 20 all told. He knew they weren't listed in the census reports, most of them were scattered about, many of them thieves and lowlife, thanks to migration. Being kicked out of all Four Kingdoms, even Corsa where the Stabbington's held court had joined in. But that was now taken care of, Edwina was no more. It was too bad Devon escaped, but that soon would be righted.

Samuel was shivering in the early morning cold when Edward came and joined him on deck.

Edward stared at the expanse of Corona's Harbor as soon as it came into view, but still way off in the distance. The castle jutted up from the rocks as if it sprung upwards from the ground like a flower. It stood still and solid, not in ruin as the other three castles, but it would soon, he figured. The minute that the Royals were gone, Corona would crumble too. Edward's smile turned to a frown as he realized that once all the Royals WERE gone, there'd be nothing left to rule. Everything would be crumbling. What prize was that he wondered as he stared out to sea, the harbor growing closer with every second.

"Samuel, you do realize what we're doing? All the Islands are crumbling."

Samuel turned to his brother. "And so, we build anew. Easy as that,"

Edward shook his head. "Don't you realize that there won't be anything to build from? It could take years. There will be no peace and prosperity, only ruins and despair, as the Invincible Four so aptly warned us."

Samuel chuckled, and then turned all his attention back to Corona Harbor. "You believe that silly book, don't you?"

Edward's eyes widened. "You call the Invincible Four a silly book? Samuel, it's happening all around you, if you take the time to look. You've seen the evidence. We've passed every one of the islands and each one is in ruin. You must realize what you're doing and you must stop. I don't know about you, but once we get into the harbor, I'm turning myself in. It's the only way to preserve our way of life. Everything will die, Samuel, including you and the new Kingdoms you'd hope to create. Samuel, please listen…

But Edward chocked on the last word as Samuel stabbed his brother. It went in so smoothly that Edward hadn't realized what his brother had done. He grabbed his stomach and pitched downward as Samuel removed the knife. The small red bloom grew bigger. "You'll be sorry, my brother," Edward said as life slowly flowed from Edward's body. Soon the deck was red with blood.

Samuel towered over his brother's lifeless body. He brought out his handkerchief and wiped the blood off. He summed two of the deck hands to have them pitch the body overboard. They were friends and sympathizers who Edward had paid well to transport them and keep their mouths shut. They would get paid extra for this once they reached the Corona mainland.

Samuel shook his head at the sea below. "Sorry you went against me, brother. I was hoping this would be a joint kingdom, but I see that you and I believe in different things. So long, my brother, and have a good journey in the afterlife. And when you look down from above, you will see how wrong you were. You are the one who will be sorry."

"Let me go, let me go," he heard a female voice. Samuel turned as the same two deck hands brought over a kicking screaming young woman.

"We found her underneath one of the lifeboats, Mr. Stabbington. I think she stowed away."

Samuel smiled. "Let her go boys, I handle this myself."

The two nodded then let go of her hands. Samuel reached into his pocket and gave them some coins for their trouble. The two walked away smiling at each while they pocketed their small reward.

Samuel watched them before turning to face the stowaway.

"You disobeyed me, didn't you? I told you not to follow me here."

"I don't have take orders from you, Stabbington. I'm of noble blood. I can do as I please. People listen to me, not you."

Samuel smiled. "Yes and that's the problem, isn't it. Well, you'll soon see your boyfriend or fiancé or whoever he is very, very soon. We're almost there; I'd say close to 45 minutes worth. Then you and your precious prince will be together, forever."

"You won't get away with this rebellion," she said. "This will cost you dearly."

Samuel laughed and shook his head. He turned his attention back to the Corona Harbor, the last free standing Kingdom. It would be a good thing to watch the last of his oppressors fall. Then it would all be his.

A small aftershock shook the seas violently. It started off as a little rumble with hardly any destruction at all.

XXXXX

The Guards had managed to round up all the Stabbington cousins, all 10 of them. Some were disguised, many were not. They were all armed and ready for some kind of bloodshed.

The King had found their camp, thanks to the scout's perfect description. The sailors had informed him that a boat was arriving in the harbor and that it held three passengers, although one had been a stowaway. That stowaway turned out to be Beth Stratford, the eldest daughter of the biggest landowners in Corsa's history and Devon's intended.

"We have to get going then," the King said. I don't want to miss this boat. I will need a handful of Guards to accompany me. The rest of you back to the castle. That includes Devon and Peter. When Flynn and my daughter get back, I want to see them in my study, waiting for me to return. Is this clear?

"Beth is here?" Devon asked one of the Guards who nodded.

"Who is she," Peter asked, mounting his horse. He watched as Devon did the same thing.

"Yes, we were betrothed until Samuel kidnapped her. Her family are cousins of the Fitzherbert's and is of noble blood, eligible to marry a Prince, namely me. He thought that by kidnapping her, her parents would be able to finance this revolution, but it didn't work. She must've stowed away to be with me."

Peter nodded as he heard galloping. He turned to find Eugene and Rapunzel together riding Max.

"Are we ready to meet Samuel and Beth down by the harbor?"

"King's order," Peter said. "We're going back to the castle. And he wants you and Rapunzel to wait in his study until he returns."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

It was no sooner that the King and his Guards parted ways with Flynn, Rapunzel and company than the earth began to shake. At first it was a little quiver, but it grew until it became a full blown tremor. It was short, maybe lasting at most a minute, but it was of such intensity that trees were falling in the forest.

No one would know the full damage until they returned to the castle, but that was later. Right now, there were more pressing matters at hand.

There were two people trailing them and more following the King. They didn't really know how much though.

Two trees had fallen in their path; one in back of them and one in front. Flynn and Max just missed the tree as they rode past it. Rapunzel, riding in back, was hit on the head by a few branches, knocking her off Max.

"Rapunzel?" Flynn cried, jumping off Max. He knelt beside her and was joined by Peter and Devon.

Flynn looked up at Peter. "She's not answering, Peter. "

"Look," Peter said, scooping her up. "We're not that far from the castle. I'll bring her back. You two, "he said, pointing at Flynn and Devon. "You'll have to warn the King. You're the only one that knows the short cut, Flynn."

Flynn nodded. "Alright, brother, but you explain to the Queen just what's been happening. And take care of my wife."

"Will do, Eugene," Peter smiled. He hoisted the unconscious Rapunzel on the back of the stallion. "Get going the two of you. "

Peter climbed on Plato and saluted. "I'll see you back there. "

Flynn smiled and saluted back. Peter spurred the stallion on and headed toward the castle. The two riders following did the same.

Devon looked toward Flynn. "They're following Peter for some reason."

Flynn looked at Devon and shrugged. " Let's get going, Devon. We can't keep the King waiting anymore." He looked down at Max. :"Let's get a move on."

XXXX

Another tremor shook the ground, this time causing a large wake to crash upon the jetties in the harbor. Even though the sun was rising, the clouds remained dark and ominous. A light rain began to fall.

The ferry was now thirty minutes from the pier. Beth could hardly see anything except when the sky was lit up by lightning streaks. She wondered if she'd ever see her Devon again. She didn't believe Samuel when he said her Prince was dead. She wanted to see for herself. That's why she stowed away on the ferry. She was surprised that Samuel let her stay on board once she was discovered.

Well, she'd wait and see; right now that's all she could do.

XXXXX

Peter needed to shake the two riders that were following him, but he didn't know how long it would take to fool them. He had Rapunzel and needed to get her to the physician as quickly as possible. He stopped Plato behind a tree, dismounted and waited, listening for the sound of hooves galloping in the night. They were closer than he thought. He waited until one of them dismounted and then watched as they walked toward the tree. It had started to rain again, a bit harder this time. As soon as the rider got closer, no sooner did Peter stretch out his arm and grab the rider by the neck.

"Peter, stop, I just wanted to know that you were safe. I just needed to know that you were alright."

Peter frowned and then loosened his grip. He recognized the soft, feminine voice.

"Cora? Is that you?" he breathed, as lightning lit the sky. The rain had begun again, this time full force.

XXXXX

The Guards and the King parted ways at the fork in the road. "Get the prisoners to the castle and hurry," he said to Manfred, "Captain," he said turning toward him. I want you and at least four of your men to come with me to meet the ferry. It won't be long now and we have such a short time left."

"Come on, Guards, let's get going. We have some work to do."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"The Queen knew exactly where her daughter would be," Cora explained to Peter while they were waiting outside the physician's quarters. Both the Queen and the physician remained inside the room with Rapunzel, no one else would be allowed in, not yet. Not until the Queen had gotten a few answers first.

"So is that why you were out on night like this?"

Cora smiled. "It's not nighttime anymore, Peter. It's only 11 in the morning. Everything is pitch black outside."

Peter nodded. "It's got to Samuel. He's probably murdered someone again. Every time there is an act of violence…" he voice trailed off. He looked down at his boots, and then looked up into her large brown eyes.

"Cora, listen, I'm…" he stopped and continued to stare. "I've never wanted to lie to anyone, but…"

Cora smiled and brushed his cheek with her hand. "So it's going to be Prince Cornelius and Princess Cora Fitzherbert? We'll make quite the couple won't we?"

Peter stared at her. "I didn't really lie to you. I've always been comfortable around horses instead of inside a castle. I love grooming them and taking care of them. It didn't bother me that I was a stable boy, it's something that I've…"

Another tremor shook the castle. That was the second one just that morning. They heard a crash and rushed to the narrow window to stare.

The Bridge of Flowers had cracked in two and fell. There was one other bridge that led to the castle and that was the gate and if that one fell through, there was no telling what else could happen.

The Queen threw open the door and rushed out to Cora. "She's alive, Cora, my beautiful daughter is alive, but.."

"But what, Your Majesty?"

"She's suffered a concussion," the physician added, walking to the Queen's side.. "A tree branch fell on her head and it was a pretty big one at that,"

"She shouldn't be sleeping; we have to keep her awake." He turned to the three of them. We need all of you to work together to keep her going."

Another tremor struck, this time more intense. A small piece of the ceiling caved in and just missed the Queen.

"We need to get out of the castle," Peter said. "And I mean now. I'll grab Rapunzel. You two take off. Wait for me at the stable "He looked at the physician and the Queen. "And that goes for you too, Majesty."

XXXXX

Flynn and Devon reached at the harbor first; leaving the King and the Guards trailing behind. Flynn looked at Devon and both turned to see that the ferry was getting closer all the time. It seemed that the closer it got to the harbor, the more frequent and violent the tremors became.

The rain was coming down again and it was dark. It seemed to Flynn that it actually had never stopped.

"This is all due to that revolution, isn't it?"

Flynn nodded his head. "Yes Devon, this is it and we've got to do something about it and quickly too, before the entire Four Kingdoms are destroyed. Your uncle there," he said pointing the swiftly moving ferry; "is the one to blame. He had to have killed someone else to cause this mess."

"Is there any way to right this?" Devon said, watching the ferry get closer.

Flynn shrugged. "This has never been done before, there's nothing for us to go by. We just have to let nature take it's course and hope for the best. But there is one thing I'm sure of."

"What's that?'

"We can't kill the Stabbingtons and we can't keep them here, either. I think we've got to send them away somewhere. We have to form some kind of written agreement. If they won't accept it, well then, they'll have to go."

Devon looked at Flynn, but found that he was watching the ferry enter the harbor. He turned his attention back to the approaching ferry when another tremor struck. This time he heard a large crash behind him. Both men turned at the sound as the Bridge of Flowers fell into the water.

XXXX

Beth could see the harbor lights now as they drew closer. She watched the shore for anything that might be able to help them. The rain was coming down in torrents now and she could barely make out two riders, one on a white horse and one on a red one. She strained to see in the darkness, but horses and riders were impossible to make out.

Samuel had no problem with it though. "It's our boy, Devon, your intended," he whispered in her ear. "The other one I'm not sure about, not until we get closer."

Another tremor shook the ground causing waves to smash against the ferry. Two of the hired men were pulled overboard by the force of the waves. Now there were three of them left. And that included Samuel and Beth.

Samuel smiled. The odds were still in his favor. He could still carry out his plan and at least kill off Devon and his accomplice.

The boat headed for the dock area. Beth's eye's lit up. She was close enough now to attract Devon's attention.

And she screamed out his name just as another tremor shook. A crash followed it and another wave swept the last of the hired men off the ferry.

Now there were only two of them.

And that's when Samuel pulled out his knife and held it to Beth's throat.

XXXX

Devon's eyes opened wide. "There she is," he said, a smile starting to form, but it quickly left when he saw the knife pressed against her throat.

"Devon," he heard her screaming. "Help me, please."

The boat moved into the harbor. With no one to guide it and secure it, it slid crazily into the pilings and hit the pier causing it to turn slightly on its side. This knocked Samuel for a loop. He lost his footing and his knife loosened from his hand. It slid off the ferry into the water.

"No," Samuel said as he looked up. The two had jumped off their horses. Devon ran to help his betrothed while the other man tied the ferry to the dock.

But it was too late. Another tremor had struck, this time destroying the dock and the pier with it. The ferry slid from the wood and broke apart just as Devon pulled Beth off the boat.

"Help me," a male voice came from the darkness. "Help me please."

XXXXX

Maximus moved into position as both Flynn and Devon pulled Beth up. "You two, get on," he said, as Devon placed Beth on the white horse. "Now you two get out of here."

Devon shook his head. "I won't leave, Flynn," he called out. "Not until I know you're safe."

"He's safe," the King called out, just as Manny and the rest of the Guards approached. "Now go back to the castle or whatever's left of it."

Flynn watched as the two rode off on Max, then turned his attention back to the water. The screaming had stopped. It had been replaced by begging.

Flynn turned and saw Samuel hanging from one what was left of the dock. "Help me, please," he called stretching out a hand. The King watched as Flynn moved closer and held his hand out to grab his. But as Flynn moved closer, another tremor shook the dock, causing the entire dock to disappear into the water.

And Samuel Stabbington went with it.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"Rapunzel? Rapunzel?"

She heard her name being called, but she couldn't tell who. It was fuzzy as if off somewhere in the distance. Another sound accompanied her name, but she couldn't identify it. It sounded a lot like a horse, but that couldn't be right, unless…

"Princess?"

She was frightened when the earth shook. She'd never felt anything like it and she didn't know what to expect. All she knew what that she was swaying to and fro and so were the branches overhead. She was praying that Max would go faster so that they could get out from under these pesky branches, but one was loose. She heard the crack and tried to avoid it hitting her, but it was so fast…

"EUGENE!" she cried as her eyes flew open. "The trees are moving and the branches…"

She stopped. Her large green eyes were originally focused on Flynn's brown ones. Her vision began to clear and she moved her eyes from side to side. She couldn't believe how many people were staring at her.

"Flynn?" she said, a little nervously looking around the room.

He smiled and brushed his hand over her cheek. "It's alright to call me Eugene now. It's all over, Princess."

She bolted upright and stared. Everyone was watching her.

"Do you know any of these people?" Eugene asked.

Rapunzel nodded. "Mother and Father are on my left; Peter and Cora are on my right. That's Prince Devon in the middle there, but I don't know.."

"This is my fiancée, Beth, Your Highness. She was my original intended, before all this."

"Nice to meet you," she said, a little absentmindedly before returning her gaze to her husband. "It's over? All of it?"

Eugene shook his head. "Well, there's good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

Rapunzel looked around the room. 

"The good news," the Queen chimed in, "is that you're alive and safe and that maybe we should all let you rest up."

Rapunzel shook her head. "Mother, I would like to hear about what's happened and most of all, where the heck am I?

"We'll go, Eugene," the King said, ushering everyone out. "You know where to go when the two of you are ready."

Eugene smiled and nodded. He really didn't want to go anywhere else, but he certainly wasn't fond of sleeping where he was. He didn't care how often Corni did it, but he didn't want to make this into a habit.

He waited for everyone to leave before turning his attention back to his wife. 

"You're in the stable, Rapunzel," he said, rubbing her cheek with his finger.

Rapunzel frowned. "The stable?"

"The castle is off limits," Eugene smiled. "It's been partially destroyed as is most of the village. The Bridge of Flowers has broken in half and is lying in the moat. There are flood everywhere because of the persistent rainfall…"

Rapunzel smiled and brought her hand to his cheek. "What's the good news?"

"Well, for one, we have the Stabbingtons all locked up. It's only a temporary measure though we get something worked out. We're all working on that right now."

Rapunzel shook her head. "My mother would never agree to.."

Eugene reached out and placed a finger on her lips. "She's the one who suggested the compromise."

"That's nothing like her."

"Well, maybe her reasoning has changed, Princess. Now that Samuel and Edward are dead…."

Rapunzel's eyes opened wide. "Dead? What happened and why was the earth shaking like that? That's never happened before?" She looked him in the eye.

"It's that book, isn't it?"

Eugene nodded. "You, you of all people should know that. You've been reading it back wards and forwards for years before I got here"

He smiled. "But I'm sure you remember this paragraph?"

"Legend has it that if one possesses all Four Elements he is the richest and most powerful man in the world, but he who uses violence to obtain them will never have peace or prosperity. Ruin and despair will follow them all the days of their lives."

Rapunzel laughed. "I guess you know that book far better than I do."

Eugene smiled. "I've been studying it a long time, Princess."

Rapunzel nodded. "So I suppose it finally caught up to us, didn't it?"

"We were the last Kingdom untouched. It was only a matter of time before Corona fell too. But look outside, Rapunzel. The sun is shining for the first time in a week." He stood up and walked over to the stable's door. He opened them wide, turned and walked back to her. 

Rapunzel smiled. "Beautiful," she whispered, watching him sit. "but it's still nothing compared to you."

Eugene smiled. "That's not the only thing that's beautiful," he whispered back and bent his lips down to hers.

XXXX

"It won't be so bad, love," the Queen said . "The official charter is in place. The Stabbington's have signed it, all three princes have witnessed it and now.."

"Now all we have to do is to hope that everyone abides by it," the King said, "and that goes for you too."

The Queen looked up at him, her brows furrowed. "It was my idea, after all," she said.

The King nodded. "Yes it was and now everyone on both sides has to make it work."

"So have you decided yet? The wedding is tomorrow."

"Well, since Cornelius has no desire to take the crown, we'll need a new ruler for Charon as well as Caledonia and Corsa. Their islands are far worse than ours. So by unanimous vote, we will rule all four kingdoms temporarily until we find replacements."

"What about Devon and Beth?" the Queen asked.

"As soon as they get back from their honeymoon, they will rule Corsa from here until everything is ready."

The Queen smiled and touched his cheek. "You are wise as well as beautiful, my Lord."

The King laughed. "I could say the same about you."

"You already have," the Queen answered, standing on tip toe to give him a kiss.

XXXXX

"How did you escape that madman?" Devon asked as he and his fiancée walked back to what was left of the castle.

Beth shrugged. "I heard where they were going, Dev. It's not like I was locked away in another room. They did have me in chains for a while, but Samuel took them off before he left saying that I wouldn't need to wear them anymore. I wasn't sure what he meant by that until the ground moved under my feet and another part of the ceiling fell down. I ran for my life."

Devon smiled. "I'm just glad no one caught you."

"So am I. But I've got a question to ask you, Devon. How could you let them send you all the way here? How could you let them take advantage of you? I mean, he tried to kill you."

Devon frowned. "Yes, it's true, Beth. My own father threatened me. He told me that everything had already been arranged and that the King accepted. No one told me that it was all a setup to have get the Royal Family of Corona out of the way so that they could take over the Four Kingdoms. Besides, the King and Queen had other ideas. The two of them knew something was up and were prepared to defend themselves and their family; even if it was a thief who saved the day."

Beth nodded. "A prince turned thief, but actually I don't blame him. The King did right by pardoning him and give Eugene his life back"

Devon put his arms around her. "My father told me you were married to Samuel, Elizabeth. He said you were in love with him and our life together was over."

"Samuel told me the same thing. That you were more interested in Rapunzel than me."

"I'm so glad that it wasn't true," Devon said, moving closer. "I'm so glad that you're here and alive."

"So am I," she whispered as his lips covered hers.

From the Corona Sun Times

A triple wedding was held today at St. Basil's. The happy couples were Prince Devon and his lovely wife, Elizabeth. The two lost princes, Eugene and Cornelius were with their beautiful wives, Rapunzel and Cora.

St. Basil's, though in ruins, was still able to ring it's bells as the three couples exited the church.

Each threw their bouquets and each one was caught by three cute little red-haired girls in braids. All three couples will be honeymooning at an undisclosed location. Good luck and best wishes to all the newlyweds."

XXXXX

"Well, here we are, Eugene," Rapunzel said, moving closer to his side of the bed. "Are you excited about this as much as I am?"

Eugene smiled and inched closer to Rapunzel. "What do you think, my runaway princess? You know if you hadn't escaped from that castle you and I would never have.."

Rapunzel laughed. "Come on, Eugene, you and my father had this all planned out, didn't you?"

Eugene placed his arms around her neck and pulled her closer. "I thought you heard the whole thing? Listening in the hallway?"

Rapunzel eyes widened. "You knew all the time that I was there and you never told me? How do I know.."

That was all she was able to get out before Eugene brought his lips down to meet hers.


End file.
